Anglo American has selected Stantec as one of its engineering and project delivery partners for feasibility study services for the Woodsmith Project in North Yorkshire, according to Ground Engineering, with the Canadian engineering consultancy tasked with developing complex underground design for one of the world's most environmentally constrained mining projects.

Stantec's scope covers the engineering of hoisting, shafts, material handling and underground infrastructure for the polyhalite fertiliser mine, which is being developed on the largest known deposit of polyhalite in the world. The company will work alongside Fluor, which was recently announced as also providing feasibility study services for the project.

Situated beneath the North York Moors National Park, the Woodsmith Project is subject to strict environmental requirements including limitations on surface structures, noise and light. To minimise surface impact, key infrastructure such as headframes will be located underground, an approach described as uncommon in global mining projects.

John Ord, business director for Stantec's Energy and Resources business in the UK and Ireland, said: "This project reflects the growing need to balance resource development with environmental stewardship. Our team brings deep experience in hoisting and shafts as well as underground infrastructure and integrated project delivery, and we're looking forward to working alongside Anglo American and Fluor to advance this important project. This is a fantastic opportunity to apply our global capabilities in the UK market, supporting the need for sustainable agricultural production while minimising impact on the natural landscape."

The appointment of Stantec reflects the technical complexity of delivering a major mining project within a designated national park, where engineering solutions must reconcile the demands of large-scale underground infrastructure with some of the most stringent surface impact restrictions applied to any mining development in the UK.

The feasibility study phase will advance the underground design to a level sufficient to support project decision-making, with Stantec's hoisting and shaft expertise central to defining the infrastructure required to extract polyhalite from depth through a system designed to avoid significant surface disruption across the national park landscape.