en.Wedoany.com Reported - BHP has awarded China Nerin Engineering a design and supply contract for key processing facilities at the proposed expansion of the Olympic Dam smelter and refinery in South Australia.

The contract, valued at over AUD 200 million, will be executed in phases. BHP is advancing the study phase and may make a final investment decision on the smelter and refinery expansion project in 2027. The supply portion of the agreement is contingent upon BHP's final investment decision on the expansion project.

Rashpal Bhatti, BHP Group Procurement Officer, stated that partnering with China Nerin Engineering reflects the company's focus on building a globally connected supply chain to support copper growth in South Australia, and that China Nerin Engineering brings the scale and expertise needed to advance complex smelting and refining solutions.

As copper demand intensifies, such partnerships enable the company to access innovations in key markets and support reliable project delivery.

The Olympic Dam smelter and refinery complex is a core facility in South Australia's copper mining district. The expansion project will support the mining giant's goal of increasing South Australian production to 500,000 tonnes per year by the 2030s, with a potential target of 650,000 tonnes per year by the end of the decade.

Currently, BHP has over AUD 2 billion in projects underway to build the South Australian copper province, including constructing a 1.3-kilometer-deep hoisting shaft at the Prominent Hill mine and a new southern mining area underground access at Olympic Dam.