Metso Outotec is investing in the development of its service capabilities in Australia with a new service centre in the iron-rich Pilbara region of Western Australia.

The planned Pilbara service centre underlines Metso Outotec’s commitment to deliver high-level services to its mining and aggregates customers, with the facility delivering enhanced productivity and shorter lead time in the region, the OEM said.

The construction work will begin as soon as the acquisition of the land and planning of the facility, currently subject to customary authority approvals and conditions, has been completed. Construction is planned to be completed by the end of 2022.

The location of the centre will provide the agile delivery of equipment repairs, act as a base for field services and hold inventory for customer-critical wear and spare parts, according to Metso Outotec. The Pilbara service centre is expected to employ around 40 skilled personnel from the local communities, including service engineers and experts. It will handle equipment including crushers, mills, screens and car dumper repairs, as well as a customer training facility.

Stuart Sneyd, President for Metso Outotec in Asia Pacific, said: “The new facility location has been chosen to provide enhanced local support to our customers in the Pilbara region and represents our long-term commitment in Australia. Our customers will now have even better access to services, repairs, parts and technical expertise to maximise their operations’ performance.”

Martin Karlsson, Senior Vice President, Professional Services, added: “The facility complements our global network of service centres. We will provide our customers with strong operational support and leading process knowledge to deliver high performance and safety standards for an exceptional customer experience.”

The centre also supports its customers’ sustainability commitments by delivering environmentally-efficient technologies and services, the company said. Metso Outotec has high sustainability targets in its own operations and supply chain. It is committed to reducing CO2 emissions from its own operations by 50% by 2024 and targets net-zero emissions by 2030.

Metso Outotec, in Australia, employs approximately 900 people serving mining, metals and aggregates customers.