Aurizon has been awarded contracts to provide an integrated rail, road and port logistics solution for BHP’s Copper South Australia operations, for a term of up to 15 years (haulage and logistics tasks are contracted on a 5 year initial term with 3+2 year extensions subject to Aurizon meeting KPIs; terminal and logistics tasks are contracted on a 10 year initial term with 5 year extension subject to Aurizon meeting KPIs). The contracts are scheduled to begin in October 2025.
Under the arrangements, the transport of copper concentrate and cathode from BHP’s Olympic Dam, Carrapateena, and Prominent Hill mines, as well as inbound freight, will shift to rail between Pimba and Port Adelaide. A new rail freight terminal will be constructed by Aurizon at Pimba, South Australia in support of the logistics solution.
The largest single new investment is the Pimba terminal at ~AUS$40 million.
The shift to an integrated rail, road and port solution will effectively replace an estimated 13 million kilometres of truck movements (all calculations assume the consumption of mineral diesel for both the existing road and proposed intermodal solution) annually on South Australian roads, delivering improvements in road safety, easing congestion and lowering emissions across the region.
“Aurizon is delighted to secure these large-scale long-term contracts with BHP’s Copper SA, supporting the success and expansion of one of the nation’s most significant resources,” said Aurizon’s Managing Director & CEO, Andrew Harding.
“Aurizon is pleased to deliver a more sustainable transport solution for BHP Copper SA and for South Australian communities. The shift to more rail transport means fewer trucks on public roads, delivering improved safety and reduced congestion, a significantly smaller carbon footprint and an ability to scale up quickly with the potential for additional train services as BHP continues to expand its SA Copper operations.”
“This is a critical step for Copper South Australia strengthening the link between our operations in the state’s far north and our path to market at the Port of Adelaide. It supports safer roads, lower emissions, and new opportunities for local businesses, while helping deliver South Australian copper to the world,” said Anna Wiley, Asset President Copper South Australia, BHP.
