Tag Archives: Monadelphous

Monadelphous Group wins work from Rio Tinto, South32, Iluka

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Monadelphous Group Limited has announced new contracts and extensions totalling approximately A$160 million ($107 million), with Rio Tinto, South32 and Iluka all getting mentions.

The engineering company has been awarded two one-year contract extensions for fixed plant maintenance services and sustaining capital projects across Rio Tinto’s iron ore operations in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The company has also secured a fabrication, supply, installation and commissioning contract at Rio Tinto’s Tom Price mine, with work expected to be completed mid-2025.

In addition, the company has secured a new three-year contract for the provision of minor project works at South32’s Worsley Alumina operations in Western Australia, on the back of the maintenance and shutdown services contract extension announced last month. Monadelphous has been providing services at Worsley Alumina for almost 20 years.

Finally, Inteforge, Monadelphous’ fabrication business, has secured a contract for the supply and fabrication of structural steelwork and pipe racks for Iluka’s Eneabba rare earths refinery project in Western Australia, with work scheduled for completion in mid-2025.

Monadelphous Group adds to construction pipeline with Rio Tinto, BHP contracts

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Engineering company Monadelphous Group Limited has been awarded new construction contracts in the iron ore and renewable energy sectors, with the revenue contribution attributable to Monadelphous expected to total approximately A$340 million ($225 million).

In iron ore, Mondium, the company’s engineering, procurement and construction joint venture with Lycopodium, has been awarded a design and construct contract by Rio Tinto for a new sampling facility at a port operation in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, with work expected to be completed in mid-2026.

In addition, Monadelphous has been awarded a multidisciplinary construction contract under BHP’s WAIO Asset Panel Framework Agreement associated with the dewatering of surplus water from Orebody 32 in Newman, Western Australia. Work is expected to be completed in the second half of 2025.

Zenviron, the company’s full-service balance-of-plant renewable energy joint venture with ZEM Energy, has, meanwhile, secured a contract with CS Energy, a Queensland State Government owned body, for the delivery of the Lotus Creek Wind Farm in Central Queensland.

Monadelphous banks work with Lynas Rare Earths, Fortescue, BHP and Rio Tinto

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Monadelphous Group says it has secured new construction and maintenance contracts and contract extensions in the resources and energy sectors totalling approximately A$170 million ($108 million), including pacts with Fortescue, BHP and Rio Tinto.

First up, the company has been awarded a construction contract with Lynas Rare Earths for stage 1 of the Mt Weld Expansion project (pictured), near Laverton in the Goldfields region of Western Australia. The scope includes structural, mechanical and piping works associated with the new concentration facility.

The engineering firm has also secured a multidisciplinary construction contract to undertake a series of upgrades at Fortescue’s Anderson Point iron ore stockyard in Port Hedland, Western Australia.

BHP has, meanwhile, extended Monadelphous’ master services agreement for the provision of general maintenance services to its iron ore operations in the Pilbara region of Western Australia through to June 30, 2025. The award also contains an additional one-year extension option. The company has also secured a one-year extension to its mechanical and electrical maintenance, shutdown and project services contract across BHP’s Nickel West operations in Western Australia.

Finally, Monadelphous has secured a one-year extension to its sustaining capital works master services agreement with Rio Tinto providing multidisciplinary project services across its Pilbara iron ore operations in Western Australia.

Liontown awards Kathleen Valley wet plant lithium contract to Monadelphous

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Liontown Resources says Monadelphous has been awarded the wet plant structural, mechanical, piping and electrical & instrumentation contract for the Kathleen Valley lithium project in Western Australia.

This appointment, valued at approximately A$100 million ($64 million), enables a vertically integrated approach to construction of the critical path wet plant, according to Liontown, providing efficiencies and underpinning confidence in the schedule to first production in mid-2024. It also signifies the final major construction contract award for Kathleen Valley.

The contract scope includes installation of 1,200 t of structural steel, 20,000 m of piping, 600 mechanical equipment items, 200 platework items, the SAG mill, magnetics circuit, flotation circuit, tantalum recovery circuit, concentrate dewatering and tails treatment.

Monadelphous commenced work under a Letter of Intent and began mobilising to site in August under a staged contractual award approach.

By deploying lessons learned from industry peers, the wet plant has been designed to a high specification with quality and hard-wearing materials, including polyurethane-lined steel piping and ceramic lined high-wear areas, designed to reduce future maintenance requirements, Liontown said. In addition, the adoption of the lessons learned will be applied during the commissioning and ramp up of the plant.

Liontown’s Managing Director and CEO, Tony Ottaviano, said: “The vertically integrated approach of combining the SMP and E&I packages enables Monadelphous to efficiently deliver both programs of work to a very high standard and played a large part in its successful tender.

“Monadelphous has a large resources pool, experience in the hard-rock lithium sector, and a proven track record of delivering large-scale multi-disciplinary projects in Western Australia, which came through strongly throughout the evaluation process. Their demonstrated skills, capability and professionalism reflects Liontown’s expectations of a partnership. There is a clear line of sight to first spodumene production mid-next year.”

The Kathleen Valley operations have been optimised for an initial 3 Mt/y, producing approximately 500,000 t/y of spodumene concentrate with a 4 Mt/y expansion planned in Year 6, to deliver approximately 700,000 t/y of spodumene concentrate. Mining will predominately be underground, allowing direct access to higher grade mineralisation while minimising waste and the environmental footprint of the project. Mined ore will be processed through a whole-of-ore flotation circuit which will provide an estimated recovery rate of 78% across the mine life and an estimated site recovery for tantalum concentrate of 42%.

Monadelphous rewarded with A$200M contract at Albemarle’s Kemerton lithium hydroxide plant

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Engineering company Monadelphous Group has secured a major construction contract with Albemarle valued at approximately A$200 million ($135 million) associated with the expansion of the Kemerton lithium hydroxide plant in the south west region of Western Australia.

The contract includes front-end pyromet structural, mechanical, piping, electrical and instrumentation works associated with two new lithium processing trains (trains 3 and 4).

The award follows the successful delivery of construction packages on trains 1 and 2, and the recently awarded long-term maintenance and sustaining capital projects contracts at Albemarle’s Kemerton operations.

Work will commence onsite later this year and is expected to be completed in the second half of 2025.

Monadelphous Managing Director, Zoran Bebic, said this award, in addition to the award announced last week with Fortescue Metals Group for work at the Christmas Creek mine site, represent the first in a new wave of major construction projects to come to market.

The company’s work at Christmas Creek involves the supply and construction of an overland conveyor and transfer station, with the scope including civil, structural, mechanical, piping, electrical and instrumentation works.

“We are extremely pleased to have secured these key construction opportunities, and look forward to continuing to deliver high quality solutions for customers, as well as supporting local communities through the provision of employment and supply opportunities,” he said.

Albemarle says expansion of Kemerton represents the biggest investment by any company in downstream processing of lithium in Australia.

The Kemerton plant initially consisted of three production trains, each producing 20,000 t/y of lithium hydroxide, with a potential expansion to five trains that will see production increase to 100,000 t/y by around 2025. The plant will be supplied with lithium concentrate produced at the nearby Greenbushes mine.

Monadelphous wins A$150 million worth of work with Fortescue, BHP and Rio Tinto

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Engineering company Monadelphous Group Limited says it has secured new contracts and contract extensions across the mining and metals space in Australia totalling approximately A$150 million ($102 million).

The company has been awarded a contract with Fortescue Metals Group for the supply and construction of an overland conveyor and transfer station at the Christmas Creek mine site in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The scope of work, which includes civil, structural, mechanical, piping, electrical and instrumentation works, commences immediately and is expected to be completed in the first half of 2024.

In addition, Monadelphous has secured a two-year extension to its existing maintenance services contract at BHP’s Olympic Dam operations in South Australia. The scope of work includes mechanical and electrical maintenance, shutdown and project services.

Finally, the company has been awarded a two-year extension to its existing contract with Rio Tinto to continue providing mechanical, electrical and access maintenance services for fixed plant shutdowns at its Gove operations in the Northern Territory.

Monadelphous banks work with Rio Tinto, BHP, BMA and South32

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Engineering company Monadelphous Group Limited says it has secured new contracts and contract extensions totalling approximately A$120 million ($83 million), banking work with Rio Tinto, BHP and South32, among others.

The company has secured two contracts with Rio Tinto under its Sustaining Capital Projects Panel Agreement to undertake upgrades to the conveyor gravity take-up systems at Tom Price and Cape Lambert Port A in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

In addition, Monadelphous has been successful in securing a further three-year Framework Agreement for BHP’s Western Australian Iron Ore Asset Projects providing multidisciplinary works to BHP’s operations in the Pilbara region.

In Queensland, the company says it has secured a three-year contract with BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA), with two one-year extension options, to continue providing shutdown and maintenance services and minor capital projects on BMA’s draglines and coal preparation plant operations in the Bowen Basin.

Finally, Monadelphous has been awarded a 12-month contract extension for the supply of major shutdown and mechanical services at South32’s Worsley Alumina operations in Western Australia.

Monadelphous Group secures work with BHP in Western Australia, Chile

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Monadelphous Group has secured new contracts and contract extensions in the resources, energy and infrastructure sectors totalling approximately A$110 million ($74 million).

The company says it has been reappointed to the BHP WAIO Site Engineering Panel for a three-year period to continue providing multi-disciplinary services at BHP’s mine site and port operations in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

Monadelphous has also been awarded a five-year contract to provide pipeline maintenance services in the Queensland coal seam gas market.

In Chile, Monadelphous’ maintenance and construction services business, Buildtek, has secured several contracts with Minera Escondida. This includes two contracts at the Escondida copper mine, majority-owned by BHP, for improvements to the water capture and drainage system and repairs associated with the oxide tank. A contract has also been secured for repairs and improvements to water storage tanks at the Puerto Coloso Filter Plant. All work is expected to be completed in 2023.

Additionally, the company has secured a contract with Liontown Resources for the supply and fabrication of structural steel and platework for the Kathleen Valley lithium project in Western Australia. The work is expected to be completed by mid-2023.

Kathleen Valley is one of the world’s largest and highest-grade hard-rock lithium deposits and, with an initial 2.5 Mt/y production capacity, it is expected to supply circa-500,000 t/y of 6% lithium oxide concentrate. First production is expected in the June quarter of 2024.

Rio Tinto details technology leaps at Gudai-Darri upon official opening

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A week after delivering first ore, Rio Tinto’s Gudai-Darri mine, in Western Australia, has officially been opened, marking a major milestone for the company’s most technologically advanced mine.

Pilbara Traditional Owners, the Banjima People, and Western Australia’s Minister for Mines and Petroleum; Energy, Bill Johnston MLA, today joined Rio Tinto employees as well as valued partners and suppliers to celebrate the official opening.

Since development commenced in April 2019, more than 14 million workhours have culminated in the delivery of Rio Tinto’s 17th and most technologically advanced iron ore mine in the Pilbara. Development of the mine supported more than 3,000 jobs during the construction and design phase with the operation requiring around 600 permanent roles.

With an expected life of more than 40 years and an annual capacity of 43 Mt, Gudai-Darri will underpin future production of Rio Tinto’s Pilbara Blend™ product. It’s expected to increase iron ore production volumes and improve product mix from the Pilbara from the second half of this year, the company says. The mine is expected to reach capacity in 2023.

To optimise mine safety and drive productivity, Gudai-Darri features an unprecedented deployment of technology, much of it industry-leading. This includes the use of robotics for the ore sampling laboratory as well as for distribution of parts in the new workshop.

This goes from autonomous trucks, trains and drills, standard across many Rio Tinto mines in the Pilbara, to a full digital replica of the processing plant which allows teams to monitor and respond to data collected from the plant. The same digital asset data is used to provide a feature rich, interactive 3D environment for virtual reality training. These autonomous assets are monitored remotely from Rio Tinto’s Operations Centre 1,500 km away in Perth.

The technology spread includes 23 Caterpillar 793F autonomous haul trucks and three Caterpillar MD6310 autonomous drills. The trucks, in this case, implement real-time ore tracking using sensors to provide live dig face progression, while data-informed modelling from the drills helps to build more accurate assessments of existing ground conditions and improve safety. In collaboration with Caterpillar, Rio Tinto is advancing the development of zero-emissions autonomous haul trucks. Once development is complete, it is anticipated the world’s first operational deployment of Caterpillar 793 zero-emissions autonomous haul trucks will be at Gudai-Darri.

Gudai-Darri also hosts the world’s first autonomous water carts.

The new vehicles, developed in partnership with Caterpillar, are primarily used for dust suppression on site, enhancing productivity by enabling mine operations to digitally track water consumption and reduce waste. The vehicle’s intelligent on-board system detects dry and dusty conditions on site, triggering the application of water to roads to keep them in good condition.

And, of course, it has autonomous trains under its AutoHaul™ system, which has been fully operational since June 2019.

The company has also invested in what it says is its first “rotable bucketwheel reclaimer”.

It explained: “Traditionally reclaimer maintenance requires a prolonged shutdown while several components are removed. This patented world first will enable the entire bucket wheel module to be changed out for maintenance, improving safety and efficiency.”

With the help of Scott Automation, the company has also introduced a robotic ore sampling lab on site, while its heavy mobile equipment warehouse is the home to four automatic guided vehicles.

Rio Tinto Iron Ore Chief Executive, Simon Trott, said: “We’ve worked closely with both the Banjima and Yindjibarndi People through the planning and development stages of Gudai-Darri and we look forward to partnering with them into the future to ensure the project achieves significant social and economic benefits.

“Gudai-Darri represents a step-change in the deployment of automation and technology within our iron ore business and a fantastic demonstration of the talent, ingenuity and capability that exists in Western Australia, a region which is now known globally for its technical excellence and innovation. Gudai-Darri’s combination of data and analytics, machine learning and automation, will make this mine safer and more productive.

“Gudai-Darri is our first greenfield mine in the Pilbara in more than a decade and a multi-billion-dollar investment in the State of Western Australia that will operate for decades to come.”

Western Australia’s Minister for Mines and Petroleum; Energy, Bill Johnston MLA, said: “I’m impressed by Rio Tinto’s innovation and sustainability; this is a prototype of the mine of the future. Once the new solar farm (a 34 MW farm consisting of about 83,000 panels) is complete it will be able to power one-third of Gudai-Darri’s operational needs with renewable energy.”

A total of A$3.2 billion ($2.2 billion) in goods and services were sourced within Western Australia during the construction phase of the Gudai-Darri Project with contracts valued at A$1.5 billion awarded directly to Western Australia-registered businesses such as NRW, Primero, DTMT Construction Company, Southern Cross Electrical Engineering and Monadelphous Engineering Associates.

This includes over A$100 million awarded directly to local Aboriginal businesses including White Springs, Lorrex Contracting, Hicks Civil & Mining, Brida, Karijini Development, Yurala Contracting Services, and Karlka FenceWright WA.

Monadelphous banks more work with Rio Tinto and BHP

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Monadelphous Group Limited says it has secured new contracts and contract extensions in the resources sector totalling approximately A$110 million ($80.1 million).

The company has secured a 12-month extension to its existing contract with BHP Iron Ore for the provision of general maintenance services for shutdowns, outages and minor capital works at the Mt Whaleback, Jimblebar, Eastern Ridge, Mining Area C and Yandi mine sites located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

Monadelphous has also been awarded several new contracts with Rio Tinto in the Pilbara under its sustaining capital projects panel agreement for:

  • The construction of new hawser rails and upgrades to the existing dolphins at Cape Lambert A and B wharves. The work, which includes design, fabrication, supply and installation, is expected to be completed by July 2023; and
  • The upgrade of conveyor gravity take-up systems at East Intercourse Island and Cape Lambert, with work expected to be completed in the September quarter of 2022.

In addition, Monadelphous has also secured a 12-month extension to its existing mechanical and electrical maintenance, shutdown and project services contract across BHP’s Nickel West operations in Western Australia.