BHP’s Copper SA business has signed a $1.5 billion deal with Australian freight operator Aurizon to deliver a decade-long integrated logistics solution for its South Australian operations.
The four contracts will see copper concentrate and cathode from BHP’s Olympic Dam, Carrapateena, and Prominent Hill mines transported by rail from Pimba to Port Adelaide, with Symons Clark Logistics – a South Australian transport provider – subcontracted to handle road transport between the mines and Pimba.
The new model replaces an estimated 13 million kilometres of truck movements each year and will remove more than 11,000 truck trips from regional roads annually. The shift is expected to improve road safety, ease congestion, and lower transport emissions across the state.
BHP Asset President Copper SA Anna Wiley described the agreement as the company’s “most significant logistics arrangement since the asset’s formation,” and a major step forward in delivering value across South Australia’s copper province.
“By value, BHP’s copper cathode is South Australia’s largest single export,” Wiley said. “This partnership forms a critical link between our operations in the state’s far north and our path to market at the Port of Adelaide.”
Aurizon CEO Andrew Harding said the agreement demonstrates the company’s ability to deliver large-scale, low-emission freight solutions.
“This solution puts the majority of freight onto rail, which in turn drives down transport emissions and delivers benefits for the broader community,” he said.
As global demand for copper surges – forecast to rise by 70 per cent by 2050 – the state government welcomed the deal as a boost to both local industry and the energy transition.
“South Australia is host to around 70 per cent of Australia’s copper resource,” said Deputy Premier Susan Close. “This consolidated intermodal transport solution demonstrates BHP’s long-term commitment to realising a Tier One copper province.”