Portugal has inaugurated a €400 million expansion at the Aljustrel copper and zinc mine in the Beja district, with Prime Minister Luís Montenegro framing the investment as essential to building a “modern, productive and sovereign Portugal” as the country positions itself as a strategic supplier of critical raw materials for Europe’s energy transition.
The project, developed by ALMINA – Minas de Portugal over five years and branded Feeding the Global Energy Transition, has received approximately €128 million in funding from Portugal’s Plan for Recovery and Resilience. The expansion significantly increases the mine’s processing capacity to six million tonnes of copper and zinc ore annually and includes a new solar photovoltaic facility capable of generating more than 40,000 megawatt-hours of electricity per year for the mine’s own consumption. The upgraded processing plant enables copper and zinc ores to be treated simultaneously, improving metal recovery rates and creating additional value while helping offset commodity price and currency volatility.
ALMINA chairman Humberto Costa Leite described the investment as placing the company at the forefront of modern mining, invoking the mine’s deep strategic significance. “There is no energy transition without a digital revolution, and there is no digital revolution without mining. Mining is kilometre zero of modern life, and that kilometre zero has a historic address: Aljustrel,” he said.
Looking ahead, ALMINA is awaiting environmental approval for a further €150 million investment over four years to develop the Gavião copper deposit, and has invested €10.8 million in exploring the Albernoa zinc and copper deposit, where experimental exploitation is planned. Costa Leite criticised regulatory delays, warning the company has already lost more than a year awaiting approval to advance Albernoa. “We need the state to be a facilitator, not an obstacle to wealth creation,” he said, calling for faster licensing procedures and stronger support for mineral exploration.
The chairman also highlighted the financial burden of energy costs, noting ALMINA faces monthly electricity bills exceeding €2 million, and urged the government to adopt long-term energy policies to support the mining industry’s competitiveness.
