08
2026-07
China Nerin Executes Design and Supply Contract for BHP Olympic Dam Smelter and Refinery Expansion Project
Recently, the global mining company BHP awarded a design and supply contract to China Nerin Engineering Co., Ltd. (China Nerin) for its smelter and refinery expansion project at Olympic Dam in South Australia.
The contract will be executed in separate stages as BHP advances through study phases and toward a potential final investment decision on the smelter and refinery expansion in CY2027. The supply portion of the agreement is contingent upon BHP approving the final investment decision on the smelter and refinery expansion.
This project aims to support BHP’s ambition to grow copper production out of South Australia to 500 ktpa through the 2030s, and potentially up to 650 ktpa by the end of the decade. This marks an important step forward in BHP’s South Australian growth plans, and also represents a significant milestone for China Nerin as it continues to deepen its footprint in the global top-tier copper metallurgy market.
Mr. Wu Runhua, Chairman of China Nerin, stated: "We are proud to be selected to support BHP’s Smelter and Refinery Expansion studies in South Australia and to apply our experience delivering large-scale copper smelting and refining facilities around the world. We look forward to working closely with BHP and its partners to provide a capital-efficient, high-performing design and supply solution as the project progresses. "
Anna Wiley, Asset President Copper South Australia, BHP
“BHP is building momentum in South Australia, and this contract award marks another important step in our plans to increase copper production here. 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.”
Rashpal Bhatti, Group Procurement Officer, BHP
“Partnering with Nerin reflects our focus on building a globally connected supply chain to support Copper South Australia’s growth. Nerin brings the scale and technical expertise to progress complex smelting and refining solutions. As demand for copper intensifies, partnerships like this enable us to access innovation across key markets and support reliable project delivery.”
Adrian Wood, Vice President Projects Minerals Australia, BHP
“As BHP looks to execute the major projects that form part of its Copper SA growth plans, it will be critical for us to work with the right partners, both locally and across the globe.
“This partnership with Nerin positions us well to advance the design and optimisation for our smelter and refinery upgrade.”
About Copper SA
BHP’s Copper SA asset is a world-class copper province in the far north of South Australia. Copper SA has three underground mines at Olympic Dam, Prominent Hill and Carrapateena, that feed a centralised smelter and refinery at Olympic Dam, and an exploration project at Oak Dam. Copper SA has a workforce of ~8,000 people and in FY25 produced ~316,000 tonnes of copper. The world needs more copper, with global demand projected to grow 70% by 2050 driven by tradition uses, the energy transition, and digitalisation. This presents a generational opportunity for South Australia, which is home to two thirds of Australia’s copper resources. Olympic Dam, Carrapateena, and the Oak Dam project are located on the native title lands of the Kokatha people, and Prominent Hill is located on the native title lands of the Antakirinja Matu-Yankunytjatjara people. Werecognise and acknowledge their enduring connection to Country. BHP also has operations and infrastructure on the traditional lands of the Arabana, Barngarla, the Dieri people, and acknowledges the cultural connection of the Kuyani people to the area.
About China Nerin
With nearly seven decades of dedication to the non-ferrous metals engineering sector, China Nerin has established itself as a globally leading metallurgical engineering technology service provider, backed by a robust portfolio of independent core intellectual property rights. Covering the entire industry chain, from technology research and development, project construction and commissioning to long-term operations and maintenance, China Nerin provides customized, full-lifecycle services tailored to client needs, empowering enterprises to achieve stable, low-carbon, and sustainable development. To date, China Nerin has delivered engineering and technical solutions to clients in over 70 countries, with a combined cathode copper capacity exceeding 10 million t/a, including the construction of seven large modern smelters in recent years. By embedding low-carbon, energy-efficient, and intelligent digital control technologies throughout the entire production process, China Nerin drives smart and refined operations in copper smelting. This enables the realization of key production goals, including low energy consumption, low emissions, and high metal recovery rates, perfectly aligning with the global mainstream direction of green and low-carbon mining development.