Tag Archives: Aqura Technologies

Aqura Technologies to deliver Private 4G network at Port Hedland

Communications in mining, IoT, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , ,

Aqura Technologies, a Telstra Purple company, says it will design and deliver an advanced Private 4G network for the Port Hedland-based operation of Pilbara Ports Authority (PPA).

The new standalone broadband network will support PPA’s extensive marine digital platforms, enhance worker mobility and provide seafarers with independent high-speed connectivity when visiting the Port of Port Hedland, it said. Port Hedland is a major export facility for the big iron ore producers in the Pilbara of Western Australia.

Aqura Chief Operations Officer, Alan Seery, said: “The solution Aqura has designed blends the best in operational network capability with enhanced user experience, accessible across the extensive Port of Port Hedland operations and out to sea.

“Our installation of Private 4G at the Port of Port Hedland will leverage the expanded capabilities of Private 4G that will assist the PPA in driving safety, productivity and efficiency initiatives.

“The communications network, upgradeable to 5G as technology advances, also offers more control and flexibility to support Industry 4.0 use cases and other technologies such as IoT.”

Private 4G requires the delivery of several prioritised services for a range of different end-use cases. The network leverages the embedded Quality of Service capability and high throughput of 4G and is dimensioned to ensure the extensive marine sensors network that PPA uses has reliable and robust connectivity for the safe passage of vessels through challenging waterways in the area.

The private network will also enable PPA staff to access their corporate and operational systems reliably and securely from anywhere across their extensive port operations, which enhances productivity and improves access to digital safety systems and procedures, Aqura says.

To ensure the wellbeing and welfare of seafarers is enhanced while being restricted to their vessels at berth or at anchor, Aqura will leverage its Complete Access Network platform to deliver a secure, user-friendly service, it added.

The project has kicked off with the network planned to be live by the end of 2022.

OZ Minerals Prominent Hill joins Aqura 5G Underground Initiative

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Aqura says its 5G Underground Initiative in Australia is progressing to plan, with the company having recently added OZ Minerals’ Prominent Hill mine to the project, joining representatives from one of Northern Star Resources’ operations in the project.

Aqura, recently acquired by Telstra Purple, was awarded a grant back in 2021 from the Australian Government under the 5G Innovation Initiative to augment the organisation’s own development work to address the challenge of delivering underground 5G LTE. This development work included technical architectures, commercial model development and installation of a live Private 5G LTE network in an operating mine.

The 5G Underground Initiative leverages learnings from a 2017 project where Aqura successfully delivered Private 4G LTE in an underground mine in the Kalgoorlie region of Western Australia.

Aqura says it has onboarded Northern Star and OZ Minerals by providing a detailed design for both of its chosen mines.

“Having two different mines involved in the project will greatly extend the diversity of the technology architectures developed to suit more mine operation types,” it noted.

Site visits to validate terrain and existing infrastructure are currently in progress. Equipment acquisition is also underway, with works expected to commence at both sites in August 2022, Aqura said.

Telstra Purple adds Alliance Automation, Aqura to expanding IoT base

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Telstra Purple, which brings together Telstra Enterprise’s business technology services capabilities and a number of its recently acquired companies, has announced a plan to acquire two Australia-based companies with mining exposure to bolster its IoT capabilities and accelerate its industry vertical growth ambitions.

Alliance Automation is, Telstra says, one of Australia’s largest independent providers of IoT industrial automation solutions and control systems. Founded in 2010, it is headquartered in Brisbane with several offices around Australia staffed by more than 250 engineers and consultants. It provides services in technical advisory and design, electrical and automation engineering, project management, site installation, business intelligence, operational technology cyber security and continuous support.

Aqura Technologies delivers key technology and telecommunications infrastructure solutions including industrial wireless, complete access networks, unified communications and industrial IoT. A wholly owned subsidiary of ASX-listed Veris, Aqura Technologies has more than 90 staff across Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne as well as a fly-in-fly-out workforce that services all parts of Australia.

Following the acquisitions, Telstra Purple will be able to offer professional and managed services capabilities to deliver industrial-grade wireless and fixed networks in remote and underground operations (Aqura Technologies), while expanding the potential for digital transformation services, industrial automation capabilities, digital twins, smart spaces and operational technology cyber security (Alliance Automation), it said.

These acquisitions will bolster Telstra Purple’s presence across mining, energy, oil and gas, utilities and defence projects, and increase its automation and digital transformation engagements, according to the company.

Head of Telstra Purple, Christopher Smith, said the deals were testament to Telstra Purple’s successful growth strategy.

“As our 10th and 11th acquisitions, Alliance Automation and Aqura Technologies will accelerate Telstra Purple’s growth, particularly in IoT, cloud and security, across key industry verticals, which are important building blocks of our T25 strategy,” Smith said.

“Both companies have demonstrated consistent historical growth, close customer and vendor relationships, backed up by a deep pool of specialist talent with a strong pipeline and growth outlook. We were impressed by their people, expertise and capabilities and believe they will be very valuable additions to the Telstra Purple team.”

Managing Director and CEO of Alliance Automation, Matthew Griffiths, said: “The opportunities that arise out of our complementary capabilities, but shared customer and employee centric services base will enable us to jointly provide world class digital transformation strategies to improve operational efficiencies for all our customers.

“Joining Telstra Purple will provide unparalleled value propositions for both our employees and our customers, taking Alliance Automation to the next level of technical capability and accelerating our push toward Industry 4.0 excellence for all of our customers.”

CEO of Aqura Technologies, Travis Young, said: “Our specialist capabilities, coupled with the highly complementary service offerings of the broader Telstra Purple family will deliver more powerful and compelling solutions.

“We can now more rapidly accelerate our growth to meet the significant demand of organisations who are looking to leverage next-generation connectivity as part of their broader digitisation strategies.”

Alliance Automation has the likes of Evolution Mining and Bloomfield Group on its mining project reference list, while Aqura is working with Fortescue Metals Group, BHP and Roy Hill, among others, in the mining sector. Aqura is also taking part in the government-backed 5G Innovation Initiative.

Aqura Technologies to expand Private 4G LTE network at Roy Hill

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Veris Limited’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Aqura Technologies, has been selected to support Roy Hill in the design, install and commissioning of an expansion of its advanced Private 4G LTE network at its Pilbara iron ore mining operations in Western Australia.

The new project builds upon Aqura’s first phase delivery of Roy Hill’s new Private 4G LTE network in May 2021.

The new A$1.8 million ($1.31 million) project value leverages Aqura’s experience with Roy Hill in the first phase installation and commissioning, it said, building on Aqura’s track record in delivering “leading-edge, high performance Private LTE networks underpinning the digital transformation programs of large-scale operational activities in highly remote locations”.

Aqura Technologies CEO, Travis Young, said: “We are very pleased to have our performance, quality and value-driven approach recognised by Roy Hill through the form of this new contract following the highly successful outcomes delivered in our initial engagement earlier this year.

“The installation and successful commissioning of the first phase within such a short timeframe proved critical in the validation work of Roy Hill’s autonomous haulage and broader digitisation programs.

“Our in-house team is looking forward to continuing to extend the reach of the Roy Hill Private LTE network, which will accelerate the realisation of benefits from their Autonomous Haulage Systems and digital transformation initiatives.”

The project will commence with the design phase in November 2021 with scheduled completion to occur by June 2022.

Back in May, Roy Hill said of the AHS project: “Roy Hill’s autonomous haulage project has completed its initial start-up phase and has moved into production testing at the company’s Pilbara mine. A fleet of seven trucks have been converted using the Epiroc/ASI Mining autonomous haulage solution. This interoperable conversion kit has been fitted to both Hitachi EH5000 and CAT 793F trucks enabling load and haul circuits to commence in a segregated autonomous operating zone.

“Having established a stable haul circuit, work is progressing on optimisation and testing across additional mining scenarios. Another core feature of Roy Hill’s innovative AHS program is an open architecture approach, allowing existing and new systems to work together to deliver superior outcomes. We recently commenced testing the dispatching interface between Roy Hill’s existing fleet management system Wenco and ASI Mining’s Mobius traffic management software.”

Aqura Technologies to entertain more Pilbara mine workers

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Aqura Technologies has been awarded a three-year Managed Services Agreement to support accommodation village entertainment networks across 17,000 additional rooms in the Pilbara of Western Australia.

The A$1.4 million ($1.05 million) agreement with DXC Technology for a global Tier 1 miner means Aqura, a Veris Ltd subsidiary, now manages accommodation content access and entertainment networks across some 31,000 accommodation rooms.

Under the terms of the new agreement, which will commence immediately, Aqura will be working closely with DXC Technology as the facilities manager for the respective villages.

The scope of the engagement will see Aqura’s in-house specialists provide remote and field-based support to ensure the efficient operation and upgrades of the end clients Video Entertainment System, network distribution and Wi-Fi networks. In addition, the Managed Services Agreement will see Aqura providing large-scale Managed Wi-Fi, Distribution networks (Fibre-optic and DOCSIS), MATV (free to air TV) and Network management platforms which integrate to provide a seamless, and positive user experience, it said.

Aqura Technologies CEO, Travis Young, said: “This engagement is a significant recognition of Aqura’s capability and specialist skill-set in the management of the efficient operation of large-scale content access networks in remote areas.

“The management of 31,000 accommodation rooms across multiple villages, for a range of end-clients, is a unique position for an Australian business. It is a great reflection of the strength of our in-house product development teams that have developed the technology that enables the optimisation of an in-room end-user complete content access experience remotely.”

Aqura Technologies improves BHP connection with Managed Services Support contract

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Veris Ltd’s wholly owned subsidiary, Aqura Technologies, says it has secured a new agreement to provide Managed Services Support for BHP West Australian Iron Ore (WAIO) accommodation village entertainment networks across nine sites.

Aqura’s in-house team will provide managed support services for village entertainment network and Wi-Fi access across BHP WAIO village accommodation rooms and public areas as part of this agreement.

Close to a week earlier, Aqura was awarded several work packages by BHP WAIO to upgrade and extend the technology and communications infrastructure at a range of accommodation sites surrounding the township of Newman in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

The latest contract award leverages the internal investment undertaken by Aqura over recent periods to develop leading-edge Content Access Networks As a Service solutions, it says. “These provide capability to generate multi-year managed services frameworks with clients across a range of sectors while delivering best of breed user experiences replicating their at-home experience in a remote setting,” Aqura explained.

Travis Young, Aqura Technologies’ Chief Executive, said the engagement was a significant recognition of Aqura’s capability and skills in the delivery and efficient operation of large-scale networks and further solidifies the company’s strategic transition to a product and service-based business.

“This engagement continues a highly successful relationship supporting BHP’s In-room Communications and Entertainment Solution (IRCES), which saw Aqura upgrade over 12,000 rooms to provide high-quality connectivity access for their workers when they are away from home,” he said.

“We are proud to continue supporting BHP who have further shown their commitment to local businesses with this three-year engagement to ensure the IRCES network continues to deliver reliable and cost-effective access for many years to come.”

Veris, following a strategic review, has made plans to pursue a demerging of Aqura Technologies, explaining such a transaction will simplify the group structure and better position both Aqura and Veris Australia for growth.

Aqura Technologies to boost FMG’s network at Kangi accommodation camp

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Veris Ltd’s wholly-owned subsidiary Aqura Technologies has been awarded A$1.1 million ($849,165) in works to undertake an upgrade of the in-situ accommodation network at Fortescue Metals Group’s Kangi 1,850 room village in the Pilbara Region of Western Australia.

The scope of the Kangi village engagement is to design and deliver physical upgrades to the GPON network to ensure a high level of reliability of services to village guests, it says.

The enhancement of the existing infrastructure using Aqura’s specialist technical expertise will establish an extremely robust platform for the delivery of entertainment services and wellbeing programs to the large workforce accommodated at the site, the company explained.

Aqura has commenced the design phase and will look to complete the scope of works by July.

“The new contract adds to Aqura’s strong track record in delivering high-performance Content Access Network (CAN) solutions for clients such as BHP, Newmont, OZ Minerals and Abra Mining,” Veris said. “Aqura’s expertise in the delivery of CAN solutions has delivered enhanced user experiences in over 16,000 accommodation rooms completed to date.”

The Kangi camp was constructed – and expanded – by Pindan (photo courtesy of Pindan) as part of FMG’s Solomon iron ore mine development.

Aqura Technologies CEO, Travis Young, said: “We’re pleased to kick off a new engagement with Fortescue who are looking to our in-house team to provide a high-quality foundation for their Kangi Village network.

“The contract award is testament to the strong quality and safety record of Aqura in the design and delivery of high-quality network infrastructure.

“We are very mindful of the benefits of this type of investment which fundamentally supports and enhances the positive wellbeing for fly-in fly-out staff who are away from home for extended periods and need reliable infrastructure to support connections to family and friends.”

Aqura to supply LTE equipment to Iron Bridge magnetite project

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Veris Ltd subsidiary, Aqura Technologies, has secured a contract to supply advanced LTE equipment for the Iron Bridge Magnetite project, a joint venture between Fortescue Metals Group subsidiary FMG Magnetite Pty Ltd and Formosa Steel IB Pty Ltd, in the Pilbara of Western Australia.

The A$2 million ($1.4 million) contract reflects Aqura’s strong focus to understand the evolving technology needs of the project and demonstrate its industry-leading capability to identify and design robust technology solutions that will support clients’ future operational strategies, the company said.

Aqura Technologies CEO, Travis Young, said: “This contract award is a great validation of the strategy the Aqura team are pursuing to leverage their expertise to enable other organisations to achieve positive business outcomes with leading-edge technology. We are very pleased to be supporting the great work of FMG and look forward to assisting them with their longer-term technology transformation program.

“Aqura continues to lead in high-performance industrial connectivity with advanced engagements for new rollouts, and other developments such as the imminent completion of our first 5G-enabled LTE network to bring the benefits of private LTE to a broader spectrum of businesses.”

The $2.6 billion Iron Bridge Magnetite project is expected to see a new magnetite mine developed to support production of 22 Mt/y of high-grade concentrate, according to Fortescue. First concentrate is expected to be produced by mid-2022.

Aqura to keep comms and entertainment running for BHP Pilbara workers

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Specialised ICT and communications provider, Aqura Technologies, has signed a multi-year service contract with BHP that will see it provide managed support for all in-room communications and entertainment system services across the miner’s accommodation villages in the Pilbara of Western Australia.

Aqura, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ASX-listed Veris Ltd, announced the BHP contract at the same time as reporting on a similar multi-year agreement with structures, logistics, utilities and energy company, ATCO.

“These contracts continue to demonstrate the execution of Aqura’s strategy to evolve its earnings base with the addition of recurring revenue models, which complement the business’ traditional project execution focus,” Veris said. “The new contract awards expand Aqura’s business model into new markets and evolve the business’ product offering towards a recurring opex ‘as a service’ model to its diverse customer base.”

The three-year agreement is with BHP’s Western Australian Iron Ore business unit, with the contract having already commenced, Veris said.

Karl Paganin, Veris’ Chairman, said: “Securing these contracts with blue-chip customers like BHP and ATCO reflects the continued success in delivering Aqura’s strategy of building our opex-friendly solutions. These provide flexibility for customers to engage with Aqura in a more commercially attractive manner.”

Back in August 2019, BHP opened its upgraded and expanded Mulla Mulla accommodation village (pictured) in the Pilbara, which is expected to accommodate up to 2,500 construction workers for its in-development South Flank iron ore project.