BHP Awards South Australia Copper Smelter Expansion Contract to China's Nerin, Worth Over AUD 200 Million

en.Wedoany.com Reported - BHP has awarded the design and supply contract for the expansion of its copper smelter and refinery in South Australia to China's metallurgical engineering design and research institute, Nerin, with a contract value exceeding AUD 200 million, to be executed in phases. BHP is concurrently conducting studies, with a final investment decision on the expansion project expected by 2027.

Nerin is one of China's leading metallurgical engineering design and research institutes, having built numerous smelters globally, including seven large-scale modern copper smelters in recent years. The supply portion of the agreement is contingent upon BHP's approval of the final investment decision for the smelter and refinery expansion. The Olympic Dam smelter and refinery complex, located at the heart of South Australia's copper province, will support BHP's goal of increasing copper production in South Australia to 500,000 tonnes per year by the 2030s, with potential to reach 650,000 tonnes per year by the end of this decade.

BHP currently has over AUD 2 billion in ongoing projects in South Australia's copper province, including a 1.3-kilometer deep main shaft at the Prominent Hill mine and an underground access tunnel at the Olympic Dam southern mine area. Anna Wiley, BHP's President of South Australia Copper Assets, stated that BHP is building momentum in South Australia, and the awarding of this contract marks another significant step in the company's plan to increase copper production in the region. She noted that South Australia's copper resources are of global importance, and the company is accelerating efforts to unlock their full potential to supply the world with more copper.