Powering Progress

At First Quantum Minerals (FQM), we believe that responsible mining means innovating for the future, long after the last tonne is processed. This commitment is best embodied by the recent inauguration of Finland’s first solar park in a mining area, located at the Pyhäsalmi mine, operated by Pyhäsalmi Mine Oy.
This pioneering project is a powerful example of transforming former industrial sites into sustainable energy hubs, ensuring the economic and environmental legacy we leave behind is a positive one.

Repurposing industrial land for green energy
The Callio Solar Park, a massive 13 MWp installation, was strategically built atop the filled tailings ponds of the Pyhäsalmi mine. This was a deliberate choice to convert an industrial area with low natural value into a site of renewable energy production. This kind of thoughtful reuse minimizes the environmental footprint left by mining.

It is a technical feat that required a unique approach:

• Floating installation: Since the tailings pond area cannot support heavy, traditional foundations, the solar park was implemented as a floating installation, requiring specialist design and construction expertise and the builder Skarta Energy Oy executed it excellently.
• Resourceful Construction: The foundations of the Callio solar park even incorporated recycled railway piles, demonstrating a commitment to circular economy principles in the build phase.

This successful project is a testament to the collaborative vision of FQM’s site team and partners, including the Town of Pyhäjärvi and the municipally owned development company Callio Pyhäjärvi, to find sensible, sustainable uses for brownfield mining areas.

Driving economic resilience and grid stability
The Callio Solar Park is more than an environmental success story; it is an important step in enhancing local power resilience and improving the economic prospects of the Pyhäjärvi region.

The project is connected through the mine’s existing internal power grid and substation, allowing the solar park to benefit from FQM’s established National Grid connection. This direct access eliminated the need for the solar park owner (Solarigo Systems Oy) to apply for its own separate connection, showcasing the efficiency of leveraging existing FQM infrastructure for a green energy project.

Power is supplied directly to the site’s ongoing operations (currently utilizing approximately of the solar park’s peak capacity), with the substantial surplus energy feeding the national grid. To further enhance utility, the agreed-upon electricity storage facility will improve the system’s economic performance and also participate in the reserve markets of the transmission system operator, Fingrid, further contributing to the overall stability of the Finnish grid.

For First Quantum, the solar park is a foundational component of the broader Callio Energy Park concept, which aims to transition the area into a self-sufficient business park. This local, green energy supply is a powerful incentive, capable of luring new companies to the area and boosting the local economy by enhancing their own sustainability reputation.

Committed to responsible mining
While the Pyhäsalmi site team continues to support other cutting-edge initiatives – like the ongoing study into a pumped hydro energy storage facility and the ambitious Future Mine Project – the 13 MWp solar park stands as tangible proof of our commitment to leveraging mining infrastructure for sustainable outcomes. It reflects the same forward-thinking approach we seek to apply globally.

At FQM, we are dedicated to extracting vital materials responsibly, fostering resilient communities, and leaving a lasting, positive legacy in every place we operate. The Callio Solar Park is a shining example of that promise in action.