Future-Facing Minerals

Cadia Substation 3 3.3kV MCC Replacement

Client

Newmont

Duration

Oct 2024 - Sep 2025

Location

Orange, New South Wales, Australia

Value

$1.2 million

A critical switchgear replacement at one of Australia’s largest gold and copper mines – upgrading Cadia’s Substation No. 3 to meet modern safety and compliance standards. Leveraging PHE Group’s 20+ year presence at Cadia, the project strengthens processing efficiency and supports future-facing mineral demand.

The replacement of ageing 3.3kV MCC infrastructure at Cadia reflects the mine’s commitment to safer and more resilient operations. The existing Substation No. 3 switchboard, originally installed in 1997, had reached end-of-life and no longer met current Arc Fault containment standards. With heightened risk of equipment failure and catastrophic arc flash events, a modern solution was required to protect personnel and sustain processing reliability.

PHE was engaged to deliver the full electrical and instrumentation (E&I) scope, drawing on extensive brownfield experience at Cadia. The project involved the staged removal of 19 Siemens 3.3kV MCC panels, interfacing with Schneider MCSet switchgear already procured by the client. The works were designed and sequenced around two major shutdowns in 2025, with preparatory activities commencing in 2024 to de-risk delivery.

Aerial photo courtesy of Newmont.

Project Scope

Replacement of 19 Siemens 3.3kV MCC panels with Schneider MCSet switchgear across two planned shutdowns, including integration of incomer, feeder, motor contactor, bus tie, and riser panels.
Installation of HV, LV, and control cabling with new cable ladders, risers, and supports, including replacement of legacy control cables with ablative-coated cables to reach new panel locations.
Deconstruction and removal of redundant MCC equipment, followed by staged installation, testing, and commissioning of eleven panels in March 2025 and eight panels in September 2025.
Preliminary and stage-based verification testing, QA and MDR documentation, and provision of red-line and green-line markup drawings with cable schedules.
Commissioning support for both primary and secondary systems, including high-voltage energisation assistance and coordination with Cadia during shutdown periods.

Outcomes and Benefits

All shutdown-critical works delivered safely and on time, protecting production continuity and avoiding unplanned downtime for one of Australia’s largest gold and copper operations.
Strengthened safety performance and operational resilience with new MCC infrastructure, ensuring future-ready capacity.
Engagement of PHE’s site-experienced workforce, drawing on 20+ years of Cadia knowledge to streamline shutdown planning, coordination, and commissioning support.

Project Images

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