BHP has confirmed that the South Australian government has commenced its application and assessment process for BHP’s planned smelter and refinery expansion at Olympic Dam.
Per a notification in the South Australian Government Gazette, the next steps are being made for BHP’s plans in the SA region. Last week, the miner said in its FY24 full-year results that it had outlined a phased strategy to increase production in the state to 500,000 tonnes of refined copper cathode by the early 2030s, then potentially up to 650,000 tonnes by the mid-2030s – up from about 322,000t over the last financial year.
“Today’s announcement is an important step for BHP and the South Australian Government as we work together towards our shared ambition to significantly increase copper production in this state,“ said BHP asset president copper South Australia Anna Wiley.
“We are already growing BHP’s copper production in South Australia with projects and studies underway at all of our operating sites, and we’re moving at pace to potentially double our current production by the middle of the next decade.”
BHP’s copper province in South Australia is made up of Olympic Dam as well as Prominent Hill and the Carrapateena underground mines. All provide volumes of copper concentrate to a centralised smelter and refinery complex at Olympic Dam that produces refined copper cathode.
The company is also progressing the Oak Dam exploration prospect.
A final investment decision on phase one of the smelter and refinery expansion is currently scheduled in the first half of FY27.
Source: bhp.com