It is expected to maintain a processed ore volume of close to 4.5 million tonnes this year.

Speaking to the Lusa news agency, Gunnar Nyström, managing director of Boliden Somincor, the concessionaire of the Alentejo mine, assured that the company “will increase its investment in exploration at the operation, which will be fundamental for the future expansion of production and longevity of the mine”.

“In addition to other investments aimed at ensuring production stability, operational safety and extending the mine’s useful life,” added the Swedish manager.

According to Nyström, the company’s priorities for 2026 include “strengthening exploration, including surface drilling in the northern extension of the Lombador deposit, additional geophysical studies and updating the feasibility of the Semblana mineralisation”.

In addition, he continued, the Neves-Corvo concessionaire plans to increase “underground development, strengthening the mine's “operational capacity,” as well as completing GISTM [acronym for “Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management”] certification, ensuring internationally recognised safety and sustainability standards.”

“These priorities reinforce Boliden's strategy to consolidate Neves Corvo as one of the European pillars in the production of metals essential to the energy transition,” said Gunnar Nyström.

Regarding production at Neves-Corvo, the managing director of Boliden Somincor told Lusa that the mining company expects to “maintain a volume of ore processed close to 4.5 million tonnes by 2026, a stability that will continue in the coming years”.

“The company is looking forward to the year with confidence, reinforcing Somincor’s full integration into Boliden, which will allow it to increase the value generated by the operation due to greater investment in exploration programmes and increased productivity,” he added.

Last year, according to Boliden’s annual report, presented in early February and consulted by Lusa, 110,600 tonnes of zinc concentrate and a further 30,665 tonnes of copper were produced in Neves-Corvo, surpassing the previous year’s results.

The mine, located in the municipality of Castro Verde, also produced a total of 8,858 tonnes of lead concentrate and 58,718 kilograms of silver concentrate in 2025.

Production of these two metals last year was also higher than in 2024.