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into the stock is to start buying on market.” In the mine itself, Macmahon Contracting is ramping up
Reeves’ confidence lies in the successful construction at activity with rates moving to full capacity over March and
Warrawoona. The company expects construction of the April.
2.5 mtpa CIL plant to be completed on schedule before the While larger miners are investigating the potential of battery-
end of April. Given the challenges of COVID-19 and the powered equipment, Calidus is happy to stick with proven
associated labour and material supply disruptions, it will be technology for now.
a notable achievement. “For junior gold miners electrification is a no-can-do at the
Calidus gave the green light to Warrawoona’s development moment,” Reeves said. “It is possible in the underground
in mid-2021, a decision which proved prescient in hindsight environment and the technology is evolving very quickly
given the subsequent problems. but currently you can’t have battery-powered equipment in
“We are lucky that we got in just in time,” Reeves said. “GR open pits and the capital required to install the infrastructure
Engineering [Services Ltd] did a lot of pre-ordering on our needed for a contractor who will soon remobilise elsewhere
behalf and that has proven
to be a fantastic move. Now
it is all about transitioning to
operations.”
That transition involves a
significant amount of hiring,
but Reeves is already seeing
signs Calidus will prove an
attractive employer.
“We are nearly there with
staffing,” he said. “Because
it is something new and
different, we have been able to Macmahon has mobilised the mining fleet at Warrawoona
attract a good team of people
who realise they can have some genuine influence in the
company.”
doesn’t make sense.
New employees will join a company with a clear idea of how
“You have to be real as a junior, we are not an FMG
it wants to go about things, according to Reeves.
[Fortescue Metals Group Ltd] that can fund ambitious
“There is already an incredibly strong culture in the things, we have no spare cash to try new technology and
organisation, that’s how we’ve been able to keep to budget our investors don’t want that additional risk. Once we are
and schedule,” he said. “We said early on that we wouldn’t established, absolutely we will adopt it, but we can’t be first
go back to the market so if we realise that we need to push movers.”
things back, that is what we will do. Some cost increases are
Despite the reluctance to use new technology, Calidus
totally out of your control but you just have to find the savings
is taking its ESG obligations seriously without focusing
elsewhere. That attitude has worked really well for us in this
exclusively on one aspect.
market. At this rate we will still have the same contingency
“ESG goes well beyond carbon, and we don’t want to become
amount when we turn the mill on.”

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