Partners 24/7 – Boliden believes in power market service sourcing

Boliden is a Swedish mining and metals industry company operating in the Nordic countries. The Boliden smelter in Kokkola, Finland, is the second-largest zinc smelter in Europe and the largest industrial employer in Kokkola. The aggregate annual power consumption of Boliden production facilities totals around 2,000 GWh in Finland and around 5,000 GWh Group-wide.

Boliden has cooperated with Gasum Energy Market Services since 2015. The aim is for the partnership to help Boliden to anticipate and manage risks.

“The power market operates 24/7 and calls for professional competences and resources that Gasum is able to provide. Thanks to Gasum, we have access to power trading services around the clock. This is important and in fact essential for us,” says Mika Lehtimäki, Manager, Energy, from Boliden.

Monitoring the energy market around the clock

Physical power market services constitute a core element of the cooperation between Gasum and Boliden. Gasum’s Energy Market Services Control Room monitors the power market around the clock and responds rapidly to market changes. Gasum takes care of Boliden’s day-to-day power trading, monitors its power balance and communicates with its production plants.

“Gasum’s energy market specialist team assists our Group’s own personnel by keeping up to date on the developments in the sector,” says Lehtimäki.

Gasum’s Control Room communicates directly with all of Boliden’s power consumption sites in Finland, that is, the Kokkola and Harjavalta smelters and the Kevitsa and Kylylahti mines.

“The contact persons and practices have remained the same since our cooperation began. Gasum operates at all of our facilities and we’re in touch with each other on a daily basis. We update our production facilities’ consumption forecasts to Gasum, and Gasum uses the data when operating in the power market on our behalf,” Lehtimäki describes the partnership.

Emission cuts through electrification

Environmental aspects and sustainability are at the core of Boliden’s operations. The company reduces its carbon dioxide emissions through actions such as process electrification and investments in energy efficiency.

“We must be energy efficient and maximize efficiency and environmental friendliness in the utilization of our raw materials. The role of electricity is growing in efforts to reach environmental targets, so there will be demand for Gasum’s services in the future, too. Gasum has a professional organization for energy market services and I strongly recommend them,” Lehtimäki sums up.