Primero Group secures work contract for Pilgangoora Operation expansion

NRW Holdings has announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Primero Group Limited has been awarded a contract to deliver works for Pilbara Minerals’ Pilgangoora P680 Expansion Project in Western Australia. 

Primero Group secured the $64 million Structural, Mechanical, Piping, Electrical and Instrumentation Construction contract – awarded by Pilbara Minerals’ wholly owned subsidiary Pilgangoora Operations Pty Ltd (POPL) – and will be undertaking works as part of the next phase of the mine expansion. 

This contract award follows a formal Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) phase that helped determined construction methodology as well as cost and schedule. With the construction contract awarded, Primero Group can begin the development of the Crushing and Ore Sorting Facilities while also assisting with providing commissioning, integration and shutdown support. 

Primero Group will begin works immediately, with completion expected in the third quarter of 2024. 

“It is pleasing for Primero to be awarded this contract following the combined efforts of Primero and POPL teams in the successful delivery of the first stage of the P680 Expansion. We look forward to building on what is already a strong partnership with the POPL team,” Primero Group Managing Director Michael Gollschewski said. 

“This award continues to build on the long association between Pilbara Minerals and Primero that began with the design and construction of the original Pilgan Plant and continues with the delivery of the P680 Expansion Project. We look forward to the successful completion of these works,” NRW Holdings Managing Director Jules Pemberton said. 

The P680 Expansion Project will increase the production capacity of the Pilgan Plant by up to 100,000 tonnes per annum of spodumene concentrate and ultimately increase the Pilgangoora Operation’s total nameplate capacity to 640,000 – 680,000 tonnes per annum once it is operational. 

Key construction activities for the expansion include: 

• A primary rejection heavy media separation circuit (Primary Rejection) enabling rejection of low-grade waste material and providing an additional 100,000 tonnes per annum of spodumene concentrate production capacity 
• An integrated crushing and ore sorting facility capable of processing up to 5Mtpa of ore throughput and supporting further process improvements and concentrate quality 

The crushing and ore sorting facility is expected to be commissioned in the June quarter of 2024, with production ramp up expected by the September quarter of the same year. 

The Pilgangoora Operation – including the P680 Expansion Project – is located about 120 kilometres south of Port Hedland. 

Source: NRW Holdings Limited; Pilbara Minerals; Australian Mining