BHP's clear-eyed vision to create a Tier 1 Copper Province in South Australia has been backed by a big investment in new facilities as it gears up for major maintenance ahead of a planned expansion of its copper smelter and refinery facilities at Olympic Dam.
Work is already underway to deliver the accommodation and other facilities needed to house an expected 1600-strong workforce required for major smelter maintenance work from mid-2027 ahead of the two-stage Smelter Refinery Expansion.
Olympic Dam's South Village will be fitted out with up to 1080 new accommodation rooms, laundry facilities, kitchens, dining and recreation areas, while 496 existing accommodation rooms will be refurbished.
Modular construction firm Fleetwood Australia has started construction of 444 accommodation rooms and four laundry buildings from its Para Hills West facility, creating up to 30 new local jobs.
Fleetwood is one of a number of local and national partners delivering the accommodation and supporting infrastructure, with local firms Ahrens and MPS as well as Ausco delivering a range of temporary and permanent shared facilities for the site.
This investment – totalling more than $100 million - not only supports BHP's workforce, but also delivers huge benefits for the wider community, creating jobs and local business opportunities while contributing to South Australia's economic future.
As put by Tom Koutsantonis
We know BHP has big plans in South Australia, with billions of dollars of investment in the pipeline – but what we are seeing today is money being spent now, for the future.
The Malinauskas Government is committed to backing BHP in unlocking our state's copper potential, by working to streamline assessment processes and investigating infrastructure solutions like Northern Water.
Global copper demand is projected to grow 70 per cent by 2050, driven by population growth, rising living standards and the energy transition – and South Australia is home to more than two-thirds of Australia's copper resources.
We sit at the intersection of abundant copper and clean energy, with a unique opportunity – clean energy enabled by copper can become the bedrock for broadening our industrial growth.
As put by Anna Wiley, BHP Copper SA Asset President
Fleetwood, Ahrens, MPS and Ausco each bring strong expertise and experience to deliver this accommodation in support of our smelter maintenance project.
We are very pleased to strengthen our partnerships with local SA and Australian businesses, creating local jobs and delivering value to communities.
The 2027 smelter maintenance project is critical to maintaining our strong copper production, and will set us up for future construction of a two-stage smelter at Olympic Dam.
