As head contractor for the Maxwell Project, NEPEAN Conveyors mobilised six NEPEAN brands across a complete underground coal handling solution, and delivered ahead of plan when the schedule tightened.
The Maxwell Project is a new underground coal mine in New South Wales. The mine has two working areas – Whynot Seam, underground bord and pillar mining with partial pillar extraction, and Woodlands Hill Seam, where a fully mechanised longwall system will extract coal at high volume.
When Malabar Resources began working through feasibility options for the Maxwell Resources coal handling equipment in 2019, NEPEAN Conveyors was invited to participate. Over the following years, NEPEAN Conveyors worked through five rounds of tendering to develop an approach that matched the project’s ambitions without exceeding its budget.
During that process, NEPEAN Conveyors also supplied approximately $9 million worth of equipment to allow mining to commence at both working areas while the primary contracts were finalised.
The challenge: An ambitious brief and a tightening timeline
Malabar Resources came to NEPEAN Conveyors with a demanding brief: deliver a world-class underground coal handling system at the lowest possible cost, and do it on a schedule with no room for slippage.
Meeting that brief required genuine collaboration. NEPEAN Conveyors and Malabar Resources worked through the specifications in detail, aligning on exactly what would and wouldn’t be included in scope so both parties were confident the solution would perform without unnecessary cost.
The question of second-hand versus new equipment added further complexity. While sourcing used equipment offered apparent upfront savings, NEPEAN Conveyors made the case for new: guaranteed delivery timelines, no risk of delay in finding suitable components, and a lower total cost over the life of the project. Malabar Resources agreed.
Then, two months after contracts were awarded, the timeline tightened further. NEPEAN Conveyors was asked to bring forward delivery of the drift conveyor, pulling key milestones ahead of the original contract dates.
The solution: One team, six brands, a six-month acceleration
NEPEAN Conveyors, acting as head contractor, mobilised the broader NEPEAN team to make it happen. Manufacturing was spread across NEPEAN’s own facilities and trusted third-party suppliers. Progress monitoring was intensified, with any slippage escalated immediately. Review cycles were streamlined so decisions could be made quickly without disrupting the program.
As a result, the drift conveyor commenced delivery six months ahead of plan and commissioned over Easter, with NEPEAN team members working through the long weekend to reach the milestone.
The full scope of work reflects the depth of NEPEAN’s integrated capability. NEPEAN Conveyors is supplying the conveyor systems across both working areas, including development, drift, longwall and trunk conveyors. NEPEAN Belting has supplied the belting, including steelcord belt complete with belt rip detection systems. PROK, NEPEAN Power, NEPEAN Engineering and Weldlok are each contributing components and expertise across the broader program.
The outcome: First coal delivered; more milestones ahead
With the drift conveyor commissioned and first coal running on the belt, the Maxwell Project has reached a major milestone. Delivery and commissioning of the remaining underground conveyors is now underway, with the Woodlands Hill longwall system, and the high-volume production it will unlock, as the next critical target.
NEPEAN Conveyors will continue to support the Maxwell Project, providing installation and commissioning support, training, and ongoing operational and maintenance assistance.
“From five rounds of tendering to first coal on the conveyor, this project has been built on trust and genuine collaboration,” says Mark Scicluna, Project Manager at NEPEAN Conveyors. “Malabar Resources needed a supplier who would find solutions, not just supply equipment, and that’s exactly what the team delivered. We’re proud of this milestone and focused on what comes next.”