Australian Power Equipment played a powerful role in ensuring a New South Wales mine could restart operations on time.
In the demanding world of mining, reliable power is more than a technical requirement, it’s the backbone of safety, productivity, and profitability. For Australian Power Equipment (APE), meeting those expectations goes beyond supply and service. It is also about innovation, sustainability, and fostering genuine partnership.
When operations face critical time or budget pressures, APE’s agility sets it apart, with a recent undertaking for a project in western New South Wales setting a perfect example.
APE was engaged by a gold mine preparing to restart production and needed custom solution of step-up substations (415/11 kilovolt) and substation (1500kV-ampere 11/1kV), a neutral earthing resistor with compliant protection system, a distribution board, and 11 kV and 1 kV cable solutions.
The mine presented two key challenges. First, the entire power system had to be engineered for underground transport, demanding compact, non-standard dimensions. Second, the project required a cost-effective solution that would still deliver reliability and compliance. Leveraging its warehouse inventory, APE re-engineered existing second-hand assets to meet both design and budgetary requirements, demonstrating the value of its in-house refurbishment capability.
APE’s engineering and operations teams adapted stock equipment through rapid redesign and modification, ensuring full compliance with site specifications.
All engineering documentation underwent formal review and received registered professional engineer sign-off, confirming adherence to Australian standards and safety obligations.
Gold mine restarts
Through close coordination between engineering, logistics, and delivery partners, APE successfully met the brief. All components arrived pre-commissioned, allowing the client’s installation crew to complete setup with minimal downtime.
“The size of the equipment in this case was critical,” APE director Andrew Cockbain said.
“The gold mine had specific space limitations underground, and meeting those constraints was a real engineering challenge, but also an exciting opportunity to show how adaptable our team can be.”
The mine’s new power system was commissioned smoothly, achieving reliable operation on time, on budget, and with no compromise on quality or safety. The final configuration included bunded designs to mitigate environmental risk, underscoring APE’s integrated approach to sustainable engineering.
Even in rapid-response situations, APE’s projects maintain a strong sustainability lens.
Key initiatives in this project included refurbished and repurposed equipment, reducing the carbon footprint associated with manufacturing new assets; mobile bunded systems, ensuring high environmental protection standards; and pre-commissioning and minimal rework, reducing resource consumption and site impacts.
“Across the mining and infrastructure sectors, we’re seeing far greater emphasis on sustainable procurement,” fellow-director Abby Crawford said. “Our circular-economy model gives clients a practical way to meet their ESG goals without sacrificing performance or delivery speed.”
From urgent turnarounds to long-term infrastructure programs, APE’s mission remains clear: to keep critical industries powered while advancing sustainable, responsible practices. The gold mine project reinforces APE’s reputation for technical agility, engineering excellence, and environmental accountability – the pillars that will continue to guide its work across Australia’s energy and resources landscape.
This article appeared in the Summer edition of Mining Magazine.
