What Phibion does

Phibion Pty Ltd is an Australian environmental technology company founded in 2006 that provides mine tailings management, mine closure management, and land reclamation services to enterprise mining operators globally. The company's core offering is Accelerated Mechanical Consolidation (AMC™), a proprietary in-situ tailings dewatering and consolidation process that uses customized amphibious vehicles called MudMaster® to apply controlled cyclic mechanical loading across tailings surfaces, accelerating water removal and increasing shear strength without requiring filtration, dry stacking infrastructure, or capital expenditure from clients. Phibion has expanded the platform with the DART Autonomous MudMaster® (launched 2023), the Real-Time Density Sensor (launched June 2025), and cloud-based digital twin monitoring for each deployed unit, with ongoing R&D conducted in partnership with the University of Queensland's Sustainable Minerals Institute.

The company operates a zero-CAPEX managed service business model, delivering AMC operations directly to mining operators through wholly-owned offices in Australia (Brisbane/Lytton headquarters), Brazil (Belo Horizonte), Chile (Santiago), Jamaica (Kingston), and the USA (Phoenix, opened 2025). Phibion owns, operates, and maintains all MudMaster® equipment — built in Brisbane — and deploys experienced operational teams to client sites with local workforce training and cloud-based performance monitoring. Pricing is negotiated on a project-by-project basis under multi-year contracts. The customer base spans mining operators across copper, zinc, rare earths, bauxite/alumina, coal, mineral sands, phosphate, and iron ore commodities, with named enterprise engagements including Lynas Rare Earths (Mt Weld, nearly a decade-long relationship), Nexa Resources (zinc), Worsley Alumina, Jamalco, Rio Tinto Alcan (Gove), and MRN/Mineração Rio do Norte (Brazil).

Quantified outcomes reported by Phibion and its customers include up to 50% reduction in tailings volume, up to 70% water recovery, shear strength exceeding 50 kPa within 60 days, TSF lifespan extensions of 3.5+ years without raising dams, and independent validation of 60% tailings-related GHG reduction by the University of Queensland. Headcount is stated at 11-50 employees, the company is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds or revenue, and wholly-owned subsidiaries operate in Brazil (Phibion Brasil) and Chile (Phibion Chile SpA).

Name

Phibion

Legal name

Phibion Pty Ltd

Website

https://phibion.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Phibion is an Australian environmental technology company that delivers AMC™, a proprietary in-situ tailings dewatering and consolidation managed service, to enterprise mining operators globally using custom-built MudMaster® amphibious vehicles, eliminating client capital expenditure.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mine tailings management services

NAICS

Mining Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing (333131), Support Activities for Mining (2131)

SIC

Mining Machinery & Equip (No Oil & Gas Field Mach & Equip) (3532), Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530)

akta.pro primary industry

Tailings & Water Management Engineering (TSF Design/Construction, Dams, Water Treatment) (IMAKAOAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Feeding & Conveying Equipment (Aprons, Belts, Stackers) (IMAHAMAH)

Keywords

• Mine tailings management
• Tailings dewatering services
• Mine closure management
• Land reclamation services
• Amphibious dewatering vehicles

Headquarters

HQ city

Lytton

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. AMC Managed Services: Phibion delivers its Accelerated Mechanical Consolidation (AMC) technology as a service to mining operators. Clients incur zero capital expenditure — Phibion provides MudMaster® machines, experienced supervision, and operational management tailored to the client's tailings properties. Pricing is project-specific, and performance is predictable and cost-effective. The model includes local workforce hiring and training to build community engagement, with ongoing cloud-based performance monitoring.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Phibion delivers its proprietary Accelerated Mechanical Consolidation (AMC™) technology as a zero-capital-expenditure managed service to mining operators globally. The company deploys its fleet of MudMaster® and DART autonomous amphibious vehicles to perform in-situ dewatering and mechanical consolidation of tailings storage facilities, while providing experienced operational supervision, cloud-based remote monitoring, and local workforce training. The service spans the full tailings management lifecycle — from active dewatering and water recovery to TSF lifespan extension, mine closure, and land reclamation — across commodities including copper, zinc, rare earths, bauxite, alumina, coal, mineral sands, and phosphate.

Product overview

Phibion is a tailings management technology company offering a platform of products and services centered on its proprietary Accelerated Mechanical Consolidation (AMC™) technology. The core product is the MudMaster® amphibious vehicle, which mechanically works tailings to accelerate in-situ dewatering and consolidation. Supporting products include the DART autonomous MudMaster® for driverless operations and the Real-Time Density Sensor (RDS) for continuous automated monitoring. The company delivers these through service offerings including tailings management operations, closure management, and land reclamation services—all designed to make tailings dams safer, smaller, and more sustainable without requiring capital expenditure from clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MudMaster: Patented technology for safe, predictable dewatering performance of tailings. Customised amphibious vehicle for specific tailings to achieve maximum dewatering performance.
• AMC (Accelerated Mechanical Consolidation)
• RDS (Real-Time Density Sensor)

Products and services

• MudMaster® (Amphirol) A customised amphibious vehicle designed to perform in-situ dewatering and mechanical consolidation of tailings within tailings storage facilities. Each MudMaster® is tailored to specific tailings properties to maximise dewatering performance, features multiple safety systems and continuous monitoring, and is supported by a cloud-maintained digital twin used for operational scenario testing and remote software adjustment. Constructed in Brisbane, Australia and delivered as a fully assembled unit ready to operate.
• Real-Time Density Sensor (RDS) World's first fully automated, real-time density sensor for tailings dams. Uses advanced ultrasonic technology to deliver instant high-precision density and moisture readings (±0.5% accuracy), integrating with SCADA systems and cloud-based dashboards. Compatible with both manned and autonomous MudMaster fleets, supports solar, battery, or direct power operation, and provides continuous monitoring without manual sampling.
• DART Autonomous MudMaster® Fully autonomous version of the MudMaster® amphibious vehicle that operates on a remotely assigned operational plan without an onboard driver. Capable of operating longer and in the most challenging tailings environments. Delivered as part of the AMC managed service fleet alongside manned MudMaster® units.
• Accelerated Mechanical Consolidation (AMC™) Service Systematic, low-energy in-situ tailings dewatering and consolidation service delivered to mining operators. Requires no changes to existing infrastructure, no process interruptions, and no capital expenditure from the client. Phibion provides all MudMaster® equipment, experienced operational supervision, performance modelling, and cloud-based monitoring under multi-year service contracts.
• Tailings Management Services Comprehensive tailings management service covering resource planning, operational management, and monitoring of tailings storage facilities at any scale and location. Includes AMC operations modelling with performance and operational intensity forecasts, and integrated fleet deployment of MudMaster® and DART autonomous platforms.
• Mine Closure Management Mine closure planning and execution service that enables safer and faster land rehabilitation. Because AMC delivers a trafficable tailings surface with adequate density and strength, conventional earth-moving equipment can be deployed for closure from the moment operations cease, reducing closure timelines and costs.
• Land Reclamation Dredging and land reclamation service using AMC technology to rapidly dewater dredged materials and generate residual strength, enabling productive and cost-effective land reclamation. Sand recovered from capping processes can be reused on site.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60% reduction in tailings-related GHG emissions (independently validated by University of Queensland Sustainable Minerals Institute)
• +10 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• University of Queensland (Sustainable Minerals Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhibion conducts R&D in Australia in partnership with the University of Queensland and around the world with leading researchers. New developments are constantly tested in real-world environments and benefits shared across the global fleet. The Sustainable Minerals Institute conducted an independent study validating AMC's carbon reduction benefits (60% GHG reduction, 127,000+ tonnes CO₂e savings). Phibion co-authors technical white papers with UQ researchers including Dr. Oscar Santiago, Rodrigo Menezes, and Will McAdam.
• Nexa ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNexa Resources partnered with Phibion to implement AMC technology within a zinc operation's tailings storage facility facing capacity constraints. The collaboration extended beyond technology — success was driven by strong working relationships, shared objectives, and a commitment to delivering measurable results. The project created additional storage capacity, helping support ongoing mine operation and protecting local jobs and community.
• Lynas Rare Earths (Mt Weld)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLynas partnered with Phibion nearly a decade ago initially through a low-risk trial to improve tailings consolidation at the Mt Weld rare earth mine in Western Australia. The approach integrated mechanical treatment into deposition scheduling across multiple tailings facilities, delivering approximately 50% improvement in consolidation, 50% volume reduction, and avoidance of A$8–10 million every two years in dam height increase costs.
• Worsley AluminacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhibion has played a critical role enabling Worsley Alumina to achieve innovative and sustainable tailings management outcomes. In FY24, following comprehensive studies, successful trials, and Phibion's expert guidance, Worsley implemented a groundbreaking solution: reprocessing bauxite residue within TSFs to construct embankments, replacing approximately 40% of clay material. Projected to unlock over 3.3 million cubic metres of storage space over the next decade, generating significant value.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Hatch: Global engineering and project delivery firm with a mining tailings management practice spanning consulting, EPCM, and closure planning. A broader incumbent that competes on tailings engineering and could expand into mechanical consolidation services.
• Stantec: Global engineering, consulting, and construction firm with mining and environmental practices covering tailings management, mine closure, and water treatment. A broader incumbent that competes on tailings engineering and closure services.
• Tenova: Provider of technologies and services for mining and metals with capabilities in tailings, water management, and mineral processing. A broader incumbent with overlapping TSF and dewatering offerings for enterprise miners.

Direct peers

• Metso: Major mining and aggregates equipment manufacturer with a tailings and dewatering solutions portfolio including filters, thickeners, and process equipment. Competes with Phibion on tailings management approaches and serves the same enterprise mining customer base.
• FLSmidth: Global mining equipment and mineral processing supplier offering tailings management solutions including thickening, filtration, and dry stacking. Most direct competitor to Phibion in the tailings dewatering and TSF improvement space, with deeper resources and broader product portfolio.
• ANDRITZ: Global supplier of separation and dewatering technologies for mining and minerals processing, including filter presses and tailings filtration systems. Directly competes with AMC on the dewatering value proposition for tailings storage facilities.
• WesTech Engineering: Provider of water and tailings treatment solutions including thickeners, paste systems, and process equipment for mining operators. Targets the same TSF management pain points as Phibion with capital equipment offerings.
• Derrick Corporation: Manufacturer of fine screening, dewatering, and separation equipment used in mineral processing and tailings management. Competes on the dewatering component of Phibion's AMC service offering.
• McLanahan: Provider of aggregate, mineral processing, and tailings dewatering solutions including filter presses, dewatering screens, and tailings systems. Targets similar mining and industrial customers with comparable dewatering value proposition.
• Paterson & Cooke: Specialist tailings and slurry pipeline engineering consultancy serving mining operators worldwide with design, testing, and operations support for tailings systems. Highly comparable to Phibion in the tailings engineering niche with a more consulting-led model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCDr17Fbp6nIRkkqMEchlSNQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/phibion

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Phibion