CIMIC’s processing specialist will design, procure and construct a 2 Mtpa copper plant in Australia’s Northern Territory
After almost a decade of testwork and studies, the Jervois Copper Project in Australia’s Northern Territory is moving into construction, and the engineering team that helped shape it will now build it.
CIMIC Group company Sedgman has been awarded a design, procurement and construction contract by KGL Resources (ASX: KGL) for the project’s processing plant. The scope covers delivery of the plant, its commissioning and testing, and the associated infrastructure and services. Procurement of long-lead process equipment and detailed engineering are already under way.
What will be built
The Jervois plant is designed to treat two million tonnes of ore per year through a conventional flowsheet: crushing, grinding, flotation and thickening, producing a single copper concentrate.
It is a deliberately proven configuration rather than an experimental one, the kind of choice that tends to reduce start-up risk on a remote mid-tier project.
Continuity as a selling point
Sedgman’s relationship with Jervois goes back to 2017. Over that period it has worked with KGL on the review of historical testwork, metallurgical testwork, pre-feasibility and feasibility studies, value engineering, front-end engineering design and procurement.
That history is central to the award. “Having worked alongside KGL on Jervois for almost a decade, our team has a deep understanding of the project, its processing requirements and its development objectives,” said Sedgman Managing Director Grant Fraser. “This early involvement provides continuity as the project moves into execution and positions us to deliver a safe, efficient and high-quality processing plant that supports KGL’s pathway to production.”
For mining companies, the model is worth noting: keeping the same engineering partner from studies through to construction can shorten handovers and limit the redesigns that often appear when a project changes hands.
Copper and the energy transition
Jervois is described as one of the most advanced copper developments in the Northern Territory, and CIMIC frames it within growing demand for a metal essential to electrification.
“The Jervois Copper Project is one of the Northern Territory’s most advanced copper developments and will have an important role in the supply of a metal essential to electrification and the global energy transition,” said Roberto Gallardo, President and Executive Director of CIMIC Group. “Sedgman’s appointment demonstrates the value of bringing together engineering, procurement and construction expertise to progress strategic resource projects with certainty and efficiency.”
The next milestones to watch are the arrival of long-lead equipment on site and a commissioning date, which neither company has yet disclosed.
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