Ausenco has secured the EPCM contract for Rex Minerals’ Hillside copper-gold project on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula, about 150 km west of Adelaide, one of the country’s largest undeveloped copper assets. The mandate covers full engineering, procurement and construction management for the greenfield operation, positioning Ausenco to define plant layout, materials handling systems and tailings and water management infrastructure. Geotechnical and civil design decisions at Hillside will be closely watched, given its scale and coastal setting with associated foundation, groundwater and environmental constraints.

EPCA has signed an agreement to convert a Caterpillar 988 wheel loader to full battery-electric drive for EMJC, delivering a complete electric powertrain retrofit rather than a new OEM unit. The E-988 project will draw on EPCA’s prior experience electrifying large mining assets, targeting zero tailpipe emissions and reduced diesel-related maintenance on a high-duty-cycle load-and-haul machine. For mine operators, the conversion pathway signals growing options to decarbonise existing medium–large wheel loader fleets without immediate fleet replacement.

Perenti Limited has appointed Dr Vanessa Torres as managing director and chief executive officer, succeeding long‑serving CEO Mark Norwell at the ASX‑listed mining services group that operates Barminco and Ausdrill across underground and open‑pit contracts. Torres, a former chief technical officer at South32 and senior executive at BHP and Vale, brings deep experience in large‑scale iron ore, base metals and coal operations, including brownfield expansion and asset optimisation. The leadership change signals continuity for Perenti’s contract mining, drill‑and‑blast and underground development business while positioning it to pursue more technically complex projects and decarbonisation initiatives.