BHP has awarded a contract worth more than $200 million to China Nerin Engineering Co. Ltd (Nerin) to design and supply key processing facilities for its proposed smelter and refinery expansion in South Australia.
The agreement marks another step in BHP’s plans to expand its Copper South Australia operations, with the project aimed at lifting production to 500,000 tonnes per annum through the 2030s and potentially 650,000 by the end of the decade.
The contract will be delivered in stages as BHP progresses through study phases ahead of a potential final investment decision in 2027. The supply component remains contingent on the company approving that final investment decision.
Nerin, one of China’s largest metallurgical engineering design institutes, has worked on smelting projects worldwide, including the construction of seven large modern copper smelters in recent years.
“BHP is building momentum in South Australia, and this contract award marks another important step in our plans to increase copper production here,” BHP Copper South Australia asset president Anna Wiley said.
“Copper South Australia is a globally significant province and we are working at pace to unlock its full potential and supply more of the copper the world needs.”
BHP group procurement officer Rashpal Bhatti said the partnership would strengthen the company’s supply chain as it advances its copper growth strategy.
“Nerin brings the scale and technical expertise to progress complex smelting and refining solutions,” Bhatti said.
“As demand for copper intensifies, partnerships like this enable us to access innovation across key markets and support reliable project delivery.”
BHP already has more than $2 billion of Copper SA projects under execution, including a 1.3km-deep haul shaft at Prominent Hill and the Southern Mine Area underground access tunnel at Olympic Dam. The company produced approximately 316,000 tonnes of copper from its South Australian operations in FY25, supported by a workforce of around 8,000 people.
