Thiess contract at Mount Pleasant nears $1bn

The $925 million contract will begin in April 2022 and extend until late 2026.

Thiess’ executive general manager for Australia Shaun Newberry said the partnership had shown great signs so far.

“We are pleased to continue building on our strong relationship with MACH Energy and on positively contributing to the local economy,” Newberry said.

“We look forward to enabling the long-term success of the Mount Pleasant operation and its surrounding communities.”

More than 80 per cent of the workforce at the Mount Pleasant operation lives locally, which Thiess has previously advocated for.

“Subject to execution, Thiess will continue to draw on local businesses for the provision of goods and services to support the mine and is committed to attracting and retaining a diverse, local workforce,” Thiess stated.

Pending confirmation of the contract, Thiess will provide drill and blast, load and haul, mining and run of mine rehandling services, equipment maintenance and progressive rehabilitation.

Thiess has worked at the site since it was a greenfield in 2017, including the rehabilitation of Mount Pleasant for the first two months before first coal was mined.

MACH Energy was formed to acquire Mount Pleasant from Rio Tinto in 2015.

Thiess planned to ramp up operations to 10.5 million tonnes per annum, as Mount Pleasant’s 474 million tonne reserve is mined.

In February, MACH submitted an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to the New South Wales Government to boost the mine’s output and mine life.

Expansion approval would increase run-of-mine production to 21 million tonnes per year.