With experience and expertise in the mining industry, PBE Group strives to deliver high-quality solutions, services, and products across all its businesses and divisions. David Meyn, CEO of PBE Rutherford, provides further insight.
VANGUARDS OF MINING SERVICES AND SOLUTIONS
Australia’s diverse and fascinating geological past has gifted the nation with a vast assortment of precious minerals.
As a result, the country’s mining industry has experienced a substantial upsurge, leading to a remarkable increase in the export value of its natural resources.
A relatively flat terrain and sparsely populated areas, except in coastal cities and towns, make Australia an advantageous location for mine exploration and development.
In fact, the minerals sector contributes eight percent of the country’s GDP, placing it amongst the top five producers of the world’s key commodities.
Benefitting from favourable industry conditions, PBE Group (PBE) is at the forefront of mining services, offering an extensive range of electrical power and electronic safety products and solutions.
This includes critical power solutions as well as data and communications infrastructure for mining, energy, tunnelling, data centres, infrastructure projects, and heavy industry.
Strategically located within mining regions for more than 30 years, PBE is a leader in delivering turnkey high-voltage power infrastructure up to 330 kilovolts (kV), spanning a plethora of services including the design, procurement, construction, installation, and commissioning of electrification projects.
“Our in-house capabilities shine through as the company’s defining differentiator in Australian mining, and PBE prides itself on its ability to get the job done efficiently and quickly through close collaboration with customers,” opens David Meyn, CEO of PBE Rutherford.
As one of three separate but synergistic businesses within the group, PBE Rutherford operates through five divisions and one vision, with David leading and supporting its dedicated team alongside overseeing the Australian operations of ADE Power and PBE Axell – the global entities of the wider company.
David joined PBE 13 years ago after a varied career, including working as an apprentice electrician in the energy sector and managing mining projects.
“My father was a coal miner, so growing up in the Hunter Valley meant mining was in my blood. It was a natural progression that my chosen career would be servicing an industry that means so much to me,” he expresses.
SAFETY, SOLUTIONS, AND SUCCESS
Over the past year, PBE Rutherford has furthered its business in the mining and energy sectors by offering comprehensive turnkey critical power solutions for backup, peak demand, and off-grid applications.
This includes a variety of mine specification generators, as well as solar and battery energy storage systems (BESS).
Offering a range of services for underground mining machinery, including complete mechanical and electrical overhauls and repairs, PBE Rutherford’s expertise extends to various equipment such as shuttle cars, continuous miners, feeder breakers, and auxiliary fans.
With its vast experience, the company also ensures enhanced workplace safety is of paramount importance through its innovative monitor, which reduces the risk of collisions between vehicles and employees with underground multiple detection technologies.
“Our most exciting development is the PBE Axell Proximity Alert System (PAS), which is now approved for the Australian coal mining market. We are also currently collaborating with various Tier 1 mining companies on rigorous trials of this product line, which will greatly improve safety in mining,” reveals David.
Recently, PBE has experienced a rise in revenue due to specific contributing factors that have had a positive impact on performance, including an inspiring company work ethic.
“At PBE, we strongly believe in our ability to commit to and deliver on our customers’ requirements, and our project management approach instils confidence that projects will be successfully completed. My personal philosophy is to deliver on our promises and to do so safely,” emphasises David.
“ Our most exciting development is the PBE Axell PROXIMITY ALERT SYSTEM, which is now approved for the Australian coal mining market”
David Meyn, CEO, PBE Rutherford
POWERFUL PROJECTS
PBE Rutherford has recently completed several significant projects in the mining and energy sectors.
“We have been working on three important developments. Firstly, a 330/33 kV substation and associated works for converting a coal-fired power station site in New South Wales (NSW) into a renewable energy and technology hub.
“The second project involved constructing a 132/11kV substation for a new metallurgical coal mine in Central Queensland.
Lastly, we expanded a 66/11kV substation for a gold mine in the Central West region of NSW,” prides David.
For the first project, PBE Rutherford built a new substation connected directly to Transgrid’s 330kV transmission network.
The substation must provide a 33kV supply to nearby coal mines and the neighbouring Bayswater Power Station.
In addition, Liddell Power Station in NSW’s Hunter Valley was decommissioned and transformed into a renewables hub, with existing overhead feeders relocated underground.
The next project, Ironbark in Central Queensland, is a new underground metallurgical coal mine for the global export market whose substation connects directly to Powerlink’s 132kV transmission network.
Finally, the company designed, manufactured, and installed two new transportable substations and a static VAR compensator (SVC) for the Narrabri Mine Southern Extension Project in NSW.
This project, which is expected to extend the life of the mine until 2044, involved expanding an existing underground coal mine that produces 11 million tonnes of high-quality thermal coal for the global export market. Crucially, all three projects were delivered safely and on time.
“We have several key investments in the pipeline, including acquisitions and organic growth within the mining and energy sectors. There’s a lot happening in these areas, and
we are well-positioned to continue our growth and expansion,” David reveals.
“Our main focus is to be the supplier of choice for electrification projects within the mining and energy sectors, along with building on our already successful service business”
David Meyn, CEO, PBE Rutherford
CHALLENGES, CHANGES, AND CAPABILITIES
The industry currently faces the challenge of navigating towards a more eco-friendly future by setting and achieving sustainable goals to reduce its impact on the environment.
“I believe the mining sector’s biggest challenge is decarbonisation and meeting lower emissions targets to avoid penalties, alongside reducing overall operating costs. However, PBE Rutherford, through a diverse range of products and solutions along with our capable team, can greatly support the mining sector in this period of transition and into the future,” David points out.
PBE Rutherford is equally seeing an increase in opportunities in Australia’s burgeoning rare earths market, which is rapidly growing as it serves many industries such as electric vehicles (EVs), solar panels, and digital technologies.
“It’s a new venture for us with several contracts secured in the mineral sands sector. We have already witnessed considerable interest in our range of products and solutions related to power, communications, and safety,” he informs.
Looking forward, PBE Rutherford is prioritising becoming the top supplier and consistently delivering positive results for its services.
“Our main focus is to be the supplier of choice for electrification projects within the mining and energy sectors, along with building on our already successful service business,” David concludes.
Possessing a cohesive vision, worldwide distribution channels, and operational facilities strategically positioned in five key Australian locations, PBE Rutherford is poised to further advance the group’s commitment to delivering innovative solutions, comprehensive services, and essential supplies to the mining industry.
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