Primero Group

What Primero Group does

Primero Group is a multidisciplinary engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor specializing in project delivery for the mining, energy, and resources sectors. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Osborne Park, Western Australia, the company delivers integrated solutions across the full asset lifecycle — from feasibility studies and front-end engineering design through construction, steady-state operations, and ongoing maintenance. It serves enterprise clients in gold mining, iron ore, critical minerals (lithium, vanadium, rare earths), energy infrastructure, and hydrogen/renewables, with named customers including Rio Tinto, Fortescue, Northern Star Resources, Core Lithium, Piedmont Lithium, Covalent Lithium, Australian Vanadium, Wärtsilä, APA Group, South32, Hazer Group, Strandline Resources, and Tietto Minerals.

The company's portfolio combines standard EPC service lines (Studies & Engineering, EPC, Construction, Operations, Maintenance) with two proprietary assets. ALi® is a fully-atmospheric leach process for refining spodumene concentrate into battery-grade lithium carbonate, claiming 99.8% purity and 92.5% recovery without sulphuric acid; it was selected by PMET Resources in June 2026 over six other commercial refining methods. Checkmate is a paperless ITR (Integration to Ready) commissioning system running on wireless tough-books for multi-discipline implementation. Capability statements cover Overarching, Energy, Critical Minerals, Studies & Engineering, Operations & Maintenance, and Defence verticals, and operations extend across Australia, the United States (Houston), Canada (Toronto, Montreal), and Africa (Côte d'Ivoire).

Commercial models are predominantly professional-services and managed-services. Revenue is generated through fixed-price and incentivized target-cost EPC contracts, study fees, and long-term operations & maintenance agreements including Build-Own-Operate (BOO) arrangements, with go-to-market via direct enterprise tender processes and relationship-based business development. Following a February 2021 takeover by NRW Holdings (ASX: NWH), Primero delisted from the ASX and now operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary spearheading NRW's Minerals, Energy and Technologies (MET) division.

Name

Primero Group

Legal name

Primero

Website

https://primero.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Primero Group is a Western Australia-based EPC contractor delivering multidisciplinary engineering, procurement, construction, operations, and maintenance services to mining, energy, and resource clients — a wholly-owned subsidiary of NRW Holdings (ASX: NWH).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) Services

SIC

Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)

akta.pro primary industry

Civil & Site Works EPC (Earthworks, Roads, Drainage, Foundations) (EUAEADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Combined Cycle & Cogeneration (CHP) EPC (EUAEAAAB), Wind Balance-of-Plant EPC (Crane Pads, Turbine Foundations, Internal Roads) (EUAEADAI)

Keywords

• Engineering procurement construction
• Mining infrastructure services
• Critical minerals processing
• Lithium refining technology
• Resource sector contractor

Headquarters

HQ city

Osborne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. EPC Contracts: Engineering, Procurement, and Construction contracts for mining and resource projects. Revenue recognized over project duration with fixed-price or incentivized target cost commercial models.
2. Studies & Engineering: Front-end engineering design (FEED), definitive feasibility studies (DFS), and engineering studies for project development.
3. Operations & Maintenance: Ongoing operations and maintenance contracts including Build-Own-Operate (BOO) arrangements.
4. Construction Services: Construction delivery services including civil, mechanical, electrical works for mining infrastructure.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Primero Group is a multidisciplinary engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) company that delivers fully integrated solutions for the mining, energy, and resource sectors. Its offerings span the entire project lifecycle — from feasibility studies and early-stage design, through EPC and construction, to operations, maintenance, and sustaining capital services — augmented by the proprietary ALi® atmospheric leach technology for lithium refining.

Product overview

Primero Group is a multidisciplinary engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) company that is a wholly-owned subsidiary of NRW Holdings (ASX: NWH). It does not offer a unified software product in the traditional sense; rather, its offerings consist of a portfolio of professional engineering services and proprietary processes. The core service offerings are Studies & Engineering, EPC, Construction, Operations, and Maintenance, delivered across five project portfolios: Critical Minerals, Gold, Iron Ore, Renewables, and Energy. The primary proprietary technology is the ALi® atmospheric leach process for battery-grade lithium carbonate production from spodumene. A secondary proprietary tool is Checkmate, a paperless ITR commissioning system. Projects span lithium, gold, iron ore, hydrogen, vanadium, and copper, with clients including Rio Tinto, Fortescue, Pilbara Minerals, Core Lithium, Piedmont Lithium, and Nemaska Lithium.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Studies & Engineering Feasibility studies, early-stage design, and engineering services for critical minerals and resource projects, delivered through Primero's international offices including Australia and Canada. Targeted at mining and resource clients undertaking project development.
• Engineering, Procurement, Construction (EPC) End-to-end EPC contract delivery guiding projects from greenfield development through to brownfield optimisation, with a vertically integrated approach supporting decarbonisation, portfolio diversification, and revenue growth for resource clients.
• Construction Large-scale, multi-disciplinary construction delivery covering civil and structural works through to mechanical installation and commissioning, using a variety of construction methodologies to meet client requirements.
• Operations Operational services spanning metallurgical optimisation, operational control, and integrated maintenance, with seamless transition from construction to steady-state operations and a Build-Own-Operate (BOO) approach to fast-track projects to market.
• Maintenance Vertically integrated asset maintenance programs designed to increase plant uptime and equipment effectiveness, coordinating operations, reliability, and engineering teams for live operational environments.
• ALi® (Atmospheric Leach) Process Proprietary, fully atmospheric hard rock lithium refining technology that converts spodumene concentrate into battery-grade lithium carbonate without requiring sulphuric acid and using simple process equipment. Designed for lithium project developers and refiners targeting battery-grade output at lower capital and operating cost.
• Checkmate (ITR Commissioning System) Paperless ITR (Integration to Ready) commissioning system run on wireless tough-book technology that prepares, streamlines, and makes verification documentation available in real time across multi-disciplinary implementation and commissioning in oil & gas and minerals processing.

Quantifiable outcome

• 92.5% overall process recovery for lithium carbonate production
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Min-Met ProjectscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-term distribution agreement for DMS (Dense Media Separation) products into Australia and the Americas. Primero and Min-Met have worked closely together at the Galaxy Mt Caitlin mine and formalized the relationship to strengthen their offering in the Mineral Processing Space.
• Northern Star ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting Northern Star Resources Cancer 200 Team cycling challenge raising funds for the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research. Primero employees participated in the 200km+ ride for cancer research.
• Perth Homeless Support Group (PHSG)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLong-term sponsorship partnership supporting Perth's homeless community through donations, fundraising, volunteering, and Christmas hamper drives. Partnership has supported over 2,000 homeless individuals.
• UWA Motorsport TeamminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsorship renewal for 2025 of the University of Western Australia Motorsport Team competing in Formula SAE competition. Program fosters industry-ready engineering and design skills for students.
• Lauchy Williams / Stop & Seal RacingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership backing Indigenous Australian rider Lauchy Williams competing in the Australian Superbike Championship Supersport 600 class in 2026.
• Rio TintocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple project partnerships including Western Range, Hope Downs, Coastal Water Supply, Marandoo, and other sustaining capital projects. Long-standing relationship with multiple active contracts.
• RCR Mining Technologies (NRW Holdings subsidiary)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSub-contract for FMG Queens Project awarded through RCR Mining Technologies. Collaboration within NRW Holdings group for integrated project delivery.
• South32minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBOD Project Tanks Package for Worsley Alumina Refinery Biological Oxalate Destruction project, working in conjunction with sister company RCR in Bunbury.
• Piedmont LithiumcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPreferred EPC and Operations Contractor for Piedmont Lithium's planned spodumene concentrator in North Carolina, USA. Also awarded FEED & DFS for Tennessee Lithium Project.
• KiewitminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerJoint partnership with Kiewit for FEED and Definitive Feasibility Study for Piedmont Lithium's Tennessee Lithium Project.
• Stardust PowerminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDefinitive Engineering Study for Stardust Power's lithium refinery in Muskogee, Oklahoma, producing battery-grade lithium products.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Hatch Ltd: Global engineering and project delivery firm with strong mining, metals, and energy practice. Comparable to Primero in process engineering and EPC delivery for mining clients, though broader in scope and global in footprint.
• Downer EDI: Large ASX-listed contractor with services and infrastructure capability including mining, rail, utilities, and energy. Competes with Primero in resources and energy projects, but operates at a broader scale across multiple sectors.
• Worley Limited: ASX-listed global energy and resources engineering firm (now owning DRA Global's minerals business). Overlaps with Primero on critical minerals and energy EPC services but competes from a much larger, broad-based energy transition positioning.
• Fluor Corporation: Global Fortune 500 EPC firm with major mining, critical minerals, and energy practice. Competes with Primero on large lithium and base-metals projects globally, including in Australia and North America, and brings greater scale and balance-sheet depth.

Direct peers

• DRA Global: Global mining and minerals processing EPCM specialist with deep roots in South Africa and Australia. Highly comparable to Primero in that both deliver studies, engineering, and EPC services for base metals, precious metals, and critical minerals projects on a multi-client basis.
• Sedgman: Mineral processing EPC business (a subsidiary of Stantec) focused on coal, iron ore, copper, and battery materials. Direct competitor for process plant EPC contracts in the Australian mining sector with similar end-to-end engineering-to-construction capability.
• Monadelphous Group: ASX-listed Australian engineering and infrastructure services contractor with significant exposure to iron ore, lithium, and energy projects for tier-1 miners. Competes with Primero for sustaining capital and brownfield construction work in Western Australia.
• Lycopodium: Australian-headquartered process engineering and EPC contractor specialising in minerals processing and critical minerals (lithium, gold, copper, nickel). Most directly comparable to Primero given shared focus on FEED/DFS-to-EPC delivery for mining clients in Australia and internationally.
• MACA Limited: Australian mining contractor (now part of Thiess/Pembridge) providing mining services, civil and infrastructure construction, and crushing services to tier-1 iron ore and gold miners in WA. Overlaps with Primero on iron ore construction work and process infrastructure.
• GR Engineering Services: ASX-listed Australian mineral processing EPC contractor with strong gold, lithium, and base metals exposure. Closely comparable to Primero in scope (studies, design, construction), customer base, and delivery model for resource-sector projects.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/primeroengineering
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/primerogroup
• Instagraminstagram.com/primerogroup

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Primero Group