Maaden has awarded a major EPCM contract to Bechtel for its Ar Rjum gold mine.

This follows Maaden’s Final Investment Decision (FID) in August 2025 as part of its plan to double gold production by 2030.

Under the US$104mn agreement, Bechtel will provide EPCM services for constructing the mine and processing facilities.

The multi-year contract supports the development of Ar Rjum, located in the Makkah Region, roughly 200 km northeast of Ta’if.

The mine is projected to yield 3.6 million ounces of gold over a 12-year life-of-mine period, featuring an open-pit operation and a processing facility handling eight million tons of ore annually.

Bob Wilt, CEO of Maaden, said, “The Ar Rjum Project is a major milestone in Maaden’s journey to strengthen our portfolio. We have ambitious targets for our gold business and Ar Rjum will be a major component of our ability to double production, as well as to grow at pace and continue to build our pipeline of talent to deliver our strategy.”

Ailie MacAdam, president, Bechtel Mining & Metals, added, “In partnership with Maaden and leveraging Bechtel’s global supply chain of more than 7,000 suppliers along with our strong local partnerships, we’re proud to support a project that advances long-term regional growth and prosperity.”

The successful bidders include four consortia

Saudi Arabia has awarded exploration licences for 25 sites in the Nabitah–Ad Duwayhi belt, located in the Makkah region, to nine local and international companies and consortia. The winners have committed more than SAR156mn (US$42mn) in exploration spending, according to the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources.

The successful bidders include four consortia: Ma’aden–Hancock Prospecting, Ajlan and Bros Mining–Shandong Gold Group, Technology Experts–Andiamo Exploration, and McEwen–Sumo Holding. In addition, five standalone companies secured licences: Al-Eitilaf Al Mumayaz for Mining Company, Saudi Gold Refinery, Batin Al-Ard for Gold, Aurum Global Group, and Almasar Minerals.

The ministry confirmed that competition for the final site, ND26, was suspended after exploration spending bids exceeded technical evaluations and reached levels deemed commercially unfeasible. The site will be re-evaluated according to the approved timeline under the Mining Investment Law.

Further bidding rounds are planned, with competition for an additional 10 sites in the same belt resuming from 16–18 September. Results will be announced after all regulatory procedures are complete. Another 162 mining sites in the Al-Naqrah and Al-Sukhaybirah Safra belts in the Madinah region will be offered from 28 September. These form part of the ministry’s target to make over 50,000 sq km of mineral-rich belts available by 2025.

Saudi Arabia’s mineral resources are estimated at more than SAR9.4tn, underscoring the sector’s role as a cornerstone of Vision 2030. The Al-Baha region alone is valued at nearly SAR285.4bn (US$76bn) and is rich in resources including gold, silver, copper, zinc, lead, feldspar, marble, and pozzolan. The region also contains mineralised belts for gold, copper, and zinc, as well as 19 mining complexes dedicated to building materials.

The Kingdom views mining as a key driver of economic diversification and aims to position the sector as the “third pillar” of its economy alongside oil and petrochemicals. By accelerating exploration and development of its mineral wealth, Saudi Arabia is seeking to enhance its global competitiveness in mining and attract further international investment.

The agreement aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy. (Image source: Maaden)

Maaden Bauxite and Alumina Company (MBAC), a subsidiary of Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Maaden), has signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Emerge, the joint venture between Masdar and EDF.

The deal will see the development of a solar power facility to supply clean energy to the Al Baitha Bauxite Mine for the next 30 years.

The project will integrate an 8 MWp ground-mounted solar photovoltaic array with a 30 MWh battery energy storage system, ensuring stable, round-the-clock power supply.

Expected to generate around 17,300 MWh of electricity annually, the facility will cut approximately 13,800 tonnes of CO₂ emissions each year, comparable to removing over 3,000 cars from the road.

With the new system, the Al Baitha Bauxite Mine will be able to operate almost entirely on renewable energy, making it one of the region’s first large-scale mining operations powered predominantly by clean sources.

The agreement aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy by advancing the Kingdom’s energy transition, lowering industrial carbon emissions, and supporting sustainable economic growth.

Emerge will deliver the project on a full turnkey basis, overseeing financing, design, procurement, construction, operations, and maintenance.

The initiative underscores Maaden’s growing role as one of the world’s fastest-expanding mining companies while positioning Saudi Arabia as a leader in sustainable mining practices.

Ali Al-Qahtani, executive vice-president, of Maaden’s aluminum business, said, “This partnership supports our ambitions to drive renewable energy across our operations, as well as reinforcing our committment to advancing sustainable solutions that benefit both our businesses and the communities we serve. We look forward to working with Emerge to deliver this integral pillar of our operations.”

Abdulaziz Alobaidli, chairman of Emerge and chief operating officer at Masdar, commented, “Emerge offers businesses a seamless, cost-effective pathway to transform to renewable energy. This partnership demonstrates the value Emerge brings to industries looking to decarbonise and optimise their energy usage.”

Omar Aldaweesh, CEO KSA of EDF Group and EDF power solutions, and Emerge board member, said, “Emerge’s partnership with Maaden marks a bold step in decarbonising the Kingdom’s mining sector. By delivering a tailored solar power plant and battery storage solution, we are paving the way for a more resilient, low-carbon future while proving that industrial ambition and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand.”

Delivering results in lithium sorting. (Image source: TOMRA Mining)

One year after commissioning the world’s largest lithium ore sorting facility, Pilbara Minerals is reaping substantial rewards from TOMRA Mining’s advanced sensor-based sorting technology at its Pilgangoora Operation in Western Australia.

The technology has helped deliver the strongest quarterly production figures of FY25, significantly lowered operating costs, and improved overall resource utilisation.

The June Quarter FY25 results underline this transformation. Pilbara Minerals reported a 77% increase in production volumes and a 10% reduction in unit operating costs (FOB) compared with the previous quarter.

These impressive gains are attributed to the ramp-up of the P1000 expansion and the seamless integration of TOMRA Mining’s high-precision sorting systems. By unlocking value from ore that was previously uneconomical to process, the operation is improving both profitability and sustainability.

Commissioned in August 2024 as part of the P680 Expansion Project, the state-of-the-art crushing and sorting plant boasts a capacity exceeding 1,000 tonnes per hour, making it the largest lithium ore sorting facility in the world. At the heart of its success is TOMRA Mining’s sensor-based technology, which enables early waste rejection during processing.

This approach not only enhances lithium recovery rates and final product quality but also reduces energy usage and minimises environmental impact.

The facility addresses one of the core challenges in lithium mining—efficiently managing spodumene ore embedded within barren host rock. It operates with 10 high-precision TOMRA sorters, each tailored to specific particle sizes: four TOMRA COM Tertiary XRT units for fine material, three TOMRA COM XRT 2.0 units for mid-sized particles, and three TOMRA PRO Primary Color sorters for coarse material.

This targeted sorting removes waste material at an early stage, which streamlines downstream processing, cuts annual energy consumption by an estimated 8–15 GWh, and ensures a consistently high-quality lithium product.

The project’s delivery was the result of years of collaboration between TOMRA Mining, Pilbara Minerals, and engineering partner DRA Global. Extensive test work at TOMRA’s Sydney Test Center confirmed the technology’s ability to maintain high lithium recovery and effective waste separation across varying ore types. The facility was completed on time and on budget, demonstrating the strength of the partnership and the operational readiness of the technology.

From a strategic perspective, the sorting facility supports Pilbara Minerals’ long-term objectives of cost optimisation and sustainable growth. It expands the Pilgangoora Operation’s production capacity while establishing the foundation for further growth through the P2000 project, for which feasibility studies are already underway.

With the P1000 expansion fully operational and the next phase of growth in motion, the Pilgangoora Operation stands as a benchmark for innovation in the lithium mining sector.