● GREENFIELD PROJECTS

Greenfield mining projects: get your control systems and automation right from Day 1.

The decisions made in early project stages lock in performance, operability, and cost for the life of your plant. Mipac engineers control, automation, and OT systems for new concentrators, smelters, and refineries – from concept through to first production..

29

YEARS IN MINING OT

730+

PROJECTS DELIVERED

110

PROCESSING PLANTS SUPPORTED

55

COUNTRIES GLOBALLY

the GREEnfield challenge

Your plant will be built once. The decisions you make now will last decades.

A new mine or processing plant is a rare opportunity – and a high-stakes one. Early decisions about control philosophy, platform selection, and automation architecture lock in performance for the life of the operation. Get them wrong, and you spend years paying for it in downtime, rework, and throughput you never recover.

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Control philosophy gaps

When control philosophy isn’t aligned with plant design from the outset, operators inherit a system that doesn’t match how the plant actually runs – and nobody can fix it without a full rework.

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Platform lock-in and integration risk

Wrong platform choices made under schedule pressure create decades of vendor dependency. Misaligned interfaces between PLCs, DCS, SCADA, and historians surface at commissioning – at the worst possible time.

Slow ramp-up and commissioning surprises

When automation isn’t treated as a first-class design discipline, the gaps emerge at startup. Slow ramp-up, production losses, and expensive remediation follow during the period that matters most.

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No digital readiness from day one

A plant built without an IIoT and data architecture strategy will spend its next decade retrofitting what should have been designed in – predictive maintenance, APC readiness and ESG reporting all depend on foundations set now.

our approach

From first concept to first production

We don’t just implement technology – we design for long-term performance. A structured four-stage framework that builds on itself, delivering the right foundation at every step.

01

Engineer

Lay the foundation, define the philosophy

02

Design

Detailed, scalable, secure automation design

03

Buid

Deliver as MAC, own the integration

04

Enable

Empower teams, sustain performance

01 – engineer

Lay the foundation before design decisions become constraints

The engineering phase is where a plant’s long-term performance is determined. We align control philosophy, instrumentation strategy, and automation goals with the process design – before platform decisions are locked and before the gaps that cause commissioning surprises are baked in.

Greenfield Copper

Control philosophy and instrumentation strategy – Cobre Panama

Developed the control philosophy and instrumentation strategy for one of the largest new copper concentrators built this century, establishing a vendor-neutral integration framework across all automation suppliers.

Platform-agnostic architecture enabled seamless integration across multiple vendors – setting the foundation for record-breaking ramp-up performance

First Quantum Minerals · Panama

Greenfield Nickel / Copper

Control system design – West Musgrave nickel-copper concentrator

Delivered detailed control system design for a greenfield nickel-copper concentrator in remote Western Australia, with a focus on designing for remote operability and digital readiness from day one.

Control architecture designed for remote operation — operability and maintainability built in from the ground up.

Oz Minerals then BHP · Western Australia

02 – design

Translate strategy into detailed, scalable, secure automation design

Good control philosophy is only as valuable as the design that implements it. We translate strategy into detailed, auditable engineering deliverables; PLC, DCS, SCADA, and network architectures built to last and designed to scale, with security and functional safety treated as first principles.

03 – build

Deliver as MAC - own the integration, so you don’t have to

As Main Automation Contractor, we take accountability for delivering the integrated control system; managing vendor interfaces, coordinating FAT and SAT testing, and supporting commissioning through to first production. You don’t carry the integration risk. We do.

Ok Tedi Mining Greenfield Copper

Main Automation Contractor – Cobre Panama concentrator

As MAC for one of the largest copper mines built this century, Mipac delivered integrated control systems across the full concentrator plant – coordinating multiple automation vendors from design through to commissioning and first production.

100%+ of nameplate capacity achieved within three months of startup — a result the Chairman described as unprecedented in the company’s historyo

First Qunatum Minerals · Panama

Cobre Panam Control room Greenfield Power Station

Power station control system integration, commissioning & startup – Paco Plant

Delivered control system integration, commissioning, startup, and synchronisation for the Paco Plant – a 300MW coal-fired power station supplying base load to the Panamanian national grid and the Cobre Panama mine. 17,000 I/O points across Emerson Ovatio and Allen-Bradley PLCs, commissioned from a remote site.

300MW power station commissioned and synchronised to grid on schedule – providing the reliable energy foundation for Cobre Panama’s record-breaking production ramp-up.

First Quantum Minerals · Panama

04 – enable

Ensure your team and systems perform from day 1 - not 3 months later

Technology only delivers results if your people can use it confidently and your data infrastructure is ready to support it. We build the digital foundations, deliver the training, and put the tools in place so your team can operate at full performance from the moment the plant is handed over.

why mipac

The greenfield specialists

We’ve delivered greenfield projects on five continents for 3 decades years. We know what gets missed in early project phases – and exactly what it costs at commissioning.t.

🎯

End-to-end-delivery

Concept through commissioning. One partner, full accountability, no handover gaps between engineering, design, and build phases.

🌏

Global track record

Proven delivery for Glencore, BHP, Rio Tinto, First Quantum Minerals, and others across multiple commodities and geographies.

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Genuinely vendor-neutral

Certified across Siemens, Rockwell, Yokogawa, Schneider, ABB, AVEVA and more. We select the right platform for your operation – not the one we prefer to sell.

Control meets metallurgy

Rare combination of control systems, instrumentation, and metallurgy in a single team – we see the whole plant, not just one discipline.

🔒

Security and safety by design

POT cybersecurity, functional safety (HAZOP/CHAZOP), and industrial network design treated as first principles — not retrofitted before handover.

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Faster, more reliable ramp-up

Our MAC methodology and commissioning experience help clients achieve nameplate capacity faster – with fewer surprises when it matters most.

TRUSTED BY GLOBAL MINING OPERATIONS

Glencore BHP Rio Tinto First Quantum Minerals Hudbay ASARCO ANGLO AMERICAN
Quellaveco site, 3,500m above sea level Greenfield Copper

PCS7 start-up and operation support – Quellaveco concentrator

Engaged by Anglo American’s Quellaveco operations team to support the start-up of its new copper concentrator – selected for Mipac’s Siemens PCS7 expertise and copper concentration process knowledge. The site sits 3,500m above sea level in southern Peru, one of the largest greenfield copper operations built in recent years.

Concentrator start-up supported from commissioning through to operation – PCS7 process expertise accelerating ramp-up at one of the world’s newest large-scale copper mines.

Anglo American · Quellaveco, Peru

Evolution Cowal underground mine, NSW Expansion Gold

Underground control system integration – Evolution Cowal

Engaged to integrate a new underground gold mine into Evolution Mining’s existing Yokogawa Centum VP process control system at the Cowal operation in NSW. Scope included all FCS and HIS programming, data network configuration, electrical design, and supply of control system panels – extending the operational life of the mine to 2039.

Underground site services fully integrated into a centralised system – operators now have graphical visibility across the mine and immediate notification of safety events without being on location.

Evolution Mining · Cowal, NSW, Australia

Ernest Henry Mine, Cloncurry Queensland Greenfield Copper | Gold

Plantwide control system design and commissioning – Ernest Henry Mine

Engaged as client representative for instrumentation and control systems on the $310M greenfield design and construction of the Ernest Henry copper-gold mine and concentrator near Cloncurry, Queensland. Scope covered full control system engineering, configuration, commissioning, and post-commissioning operations support using a plantwide Yokogawa platform.

Rapid start-up to nameplate capacity, very stable process control, and fast transfer of technology to operations and maintenance teams.

Evolution Mining (formerly Glencore) · Cloncurry, QLD, Australia

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No sales team in the middle. When you contact Mipac, you reach the engineers who will actually work on your project. Tell us what you’re dealing with – we’ll tell you honestly if and how we can help.

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Some common questions we get about greenfield projects in mining:

What is a greenfield mining project and how is it different from brownfield?

A greenfield mining project involves building a new mine or processing facility on undeveloped land, with no existing infrastructure to work with or around. Unlike brownfield operations, which upgrade or optimise an operating plant, greenfield projects require control philosophy, automation architecture, and OT infrastructure to be designed from scratch. Decisions made in the feasibility and concept phases have long-term consequences for performance and operability.

When should automation and control engineering be brought into a greenfield project?

As early as possible: ideally at feasibility or pre-FEED stage. Control philosophy and instrumentation strategy should be developed alongside process design, not after it. When automation is treated as a late-stage discipline, it creates integration risk, commissioning surprises, and a control system that doesn’t match how the plant actually runs. The most successful greenfield projects engage their automation partner at concept stage.

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What does a Main Automation Contractor (MAC) do on a greenfield project?

A Main Automation Contractor takes single-point accountability for delivering the integrated control system - coordinating all automation vendors, managing system interfaces, overseeing FAT and SAT testing, and supporting commissioning through to first production. On complex greenfield projects with multiple PLC, DCS, and SCADA vendors, the MAC role ensures all systems work together as designed and that integration risk sits with one accountable party.

How does Mipac approach platform selection for greenfield projects?

Mipac is genuinely vendor-neutral - certified across market leading platforms including Siemens, Rockwell Automation, Yokogawa, Schneider Electric, and AVEVA. Platform selection is driven by the specific requirements of the operation: process complexity, remote operations capability, existing client standards, lifecycle cost, and long-term support considerations. We don’t recommend platforms based on commercial preference — we recommend what is genuinely right for the project.

How does Mipac help greenfield operations reach nameplate capacity faster?

Faster ramp-up comes from fewer commissioning surprises - and fewer surprises come from better engineering upfront. Mipac’s integrated approach means control philosophy, system design, and commissioning are handled by the same team. Our MAC methodology ensures vendor interfaces are managed proactively, so integration issues are resolved before startup rather than during it. At Cobre Panama, this approach helped First Quantum Minerals exceed 100% of nameplate capacity within three months of first production.

What control systems are typically used in greenfield copper concentrators?

Greenfield copper concentrators commonly use distributed control systems (DCS) from vendors including Siemens, Yokogawa, Emerson, and Rockwell Automation, combined with PLCs for discrete control and SCADA for supervisory visibility. Platform selection depends on the scale of the operation, client standards, remote operations requirements, and long-term lifecycle cost. Vendor-neutral contractors like Mipac evaluate all major platforms against project-specific criteria before recommending a solution.

What is a control philosophy document and why does a greenfield mine need one?

A control philosophy document defines how a plant's automation system will operate - covering control objectives, modes of operation, interlocking strategies, alarm philosophy, and the relationship between manual and automatic control. For a greenfield mine or processing plant, it is the foundational document that aligns engineering, operations, and automation teams before detailed design begins. Without a well-defined control philosophy, inconsistencies between the process design and the control system are common and costly to fix after commissioning.

What digital infrastructure should be designed into a greenfield mine from the start?

A greenfield mine or processing plant should be designed from the outset with a process historian (such as AVEVA PI), an industrial data network capable of supporting IIoT devices, and a data architecture that enables real-time production reporting, metallurgical accounting, and predictive maintenance. ESG monitoring and emissions reporting frameworks are increasingly required by investors and regulators and are far easier to implement when designed in rather than retrofitted. Establishing this digital foundation at the greenfield stage avoids the significant cost and disruption of upgrading data infrastructure in an operating plant.

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