Before you rush out and order a geothermal system, remember that furnace and air-conditioning technology has advanced as well, with new units 20% more efficient than a decade ago.
Getting the tin out of the cassiterite is pretty easy: a hand built furnace and some charcoal can be used to do it although obviously modern machinery can make it more efficient.
The start of production at the blast furnace comes at the same time that Tata is carrying out its biggest single round of job cuts in more than 20 years in Port Talbot.