VANGUARDS OF MINING SERVICES AND SOLUTIONS
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
Writer: Rachel Carr | Project Manager: Eddie Clinton
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.
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.
electrical overhauls and repairs, PBE Rutherford’s expertise extends to various equipment such as shuttle cars, continuous miners, feeder breakers, and auxiliary fans.
“ 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
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.
“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.
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
“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,
P.I. Technical Services delivers complete electrical engineering and electrical skills as an integrated service. We specialise in on site electrical maintenance, testing, repairs, installations and equipment hire.
When you choose P.I. Technical Services, you are choosing an experienced electrical contractor with a strong set of values who will consistently provide the technical and professional expertise to satisfy your needs. We want to get the job done safely, on time and within budget.
SERVICES
• Labour Hire
• Conveyor Installations
• Pre Overhaul Audits
• Coal Seam Gas
• Longwall Moves
• Electrical Workshop
• Engineering
• Engineering Design
• Inspection & Audits
• Overhaul Management
• Project Management
• Commissioning Services
PI Technical Services Pty Ltd
Unit 1/36 Transport Av Paget Qld 4740 PO Box 8392 Mt Pleasant Qld 4740
Phone: 07 4998 5226
www.pitechnicalservices.com
APAC OUTLOOK: HOW DOES PBE VALUE, INCENTIVISE, AND MOTIVATE ITS EMPLOYEES?
David Meyn, CEO: “We truly value our employees, and as I often say, we are all players within the team. Each of us have a key role, and we are a great team as we complement each other’s skill sets.
“We provide flexible working arrangements, upskilling through training, and development opportunities with financial support.
“In addition, we offer an employee service awards programme and pathways for our staff to develop and contribute to the success of the business.”
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.
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.
HENGTONG CABLE AUSTRALIA
• Hengtong is the largest cable manufacturer in China
• We are one of the world’s largest opitical fibre producers
• Fourth largest insulated wire and cable producer globally
• Tallest VCV extrusion tower in the world at 180 metres
• Largest submarine cable manufacturer in Asia
• 22,000 employees globally
• Total of 3,000,000m2 of factories of which 2,200,000m2 are in China
• 80 subsidiary companies
RUTHERFORD
SPECIALIST MINING EQUIPMENT AND EXPERTISE OFFERED BY PBE
• Flameproof product line of Ex d enclosures and cable reelers for underground coal applications.
• Proximity alert systems for both open-cut and underground mining.
• Turnkey site-wide power infrastructure for both on and off-grid applications.
• Communications systems including leaky feeder radio, distributed antenna systems, and fibre optic networks.
• Cable services including cable repairs, new cable sales, couplers, and on-site services.
• Complete mechanical and electrical manufacture and overhaul of mining machinery.
• Mine spec generators, solar, and BESS.
• On-site support 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 MEYN, CEO, PBE RUTHERFORD
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.
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.
Tel: 02 49619619
contact@pberutherford.com pbegrp.com