Boliden Somincor–EDP–Greenvolt solar UPAC: integration notes for Neves‑Corvo mine engineers
Reviewed by Tom Sullivan
First reported on International Mining – News
30 Second Briefing
Boliden Somincor has partnered with EDP and Greenvolt to build Portugal’s largest self‑consumption solar generation unit (UPAC) near the Neves‑Corvo zinc mine at Castro Verde, supplying power directly to mine operations. The distributed solar plant will sit adjacent to one of Europe’s largest zinc orebodies, reducing grid dependence for high‑load processes such as hoisting, ventilation and paste backfill plants. For mine planners and electrical engineers, the project signals growing integration of large‑scale on‑site renewables into base‑metal underground operations in southern Europe.
Technical Brief
- UPAC configuration implies direct behind-the-metre connection, avoiding public grid wheeling and associated tariffs.
- Self-consumption legal framework in Portugal allows surplus export, influencing sizing versus mine load profile.
- Locating the UPAC near Neves‑Corvo reduces HV line length, cutting transmission losses and easement complexity.
- Solar output will coincide with peak daytime ventilation and cooling loads in deep workings, easing transformer sizing.
- On-site generation reduces exposure to Iberian wholesale price volatility, stabilising unit energy costs for processing circuits.
- Integration will require mine substation protection upgrades and revised load‑shedding schemes for variable solar input.
- Similar UPAC models are being adopted at several Iberian base‑metal mines to de‑risk long‑life power contracts.
Our Take
Within the 35 zinc‑tagged pieces in our database, very few involve on‑site power like this Neves‑Corvo UPAC in Portugal, signalling that zinc operations are still earlier in large‑scale self‑consumption adoption than, for example, iron ore or gold majors.
Portugal’s permitting and grid framework for self‑consumption projects means Boliden Somincor’s UPAC at Neves‑Corvo could materially cut exposure to European power‑price volatility, which has been a key cost risk for energy‑intensive zinc processing in Europe.
Having utilities EDP and Greenvolt Group embedded in the Neves‑Corvo self‑consumption project gives Boliden Somincor access to power‑market and grid‑integration expertise that many mining‑only operators in our coverage have had to build in‑house or via smaller IPPs.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
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