Amazon Web Services Partners with Rio Tinto's Nuton for Copper Supply from Arizona Mine
Amazon Web Services (AWS) has entered a two-year agreement with Rio Tinto's Nuton venture to source copper from the Johnson Camp mine in Arizona, the first new U.S. copper source in over a decade. The project aims to produce 30,000 tonnes of refined copper over four years using bioleaching, enabling AWS to enhance its data centers while addressing rising global copper demand amid concerns of a potential supply shortage impacting economic growth and AI development.
Theia Market Signal Identification - AI Assisted
Amazon Web Services (AWS) has secured a two-year agreement with Rio Tinto's Nuton venture to supply copper from the Johnson Camp mine in Arizona, which recently became the first new source of U.S. copper in over a decade. The Nuton project aims to produce approximately 30,000 tonnes of refined copper over four years using a bioleaching process that extracts copper from low-grade ore.
This collaboration will allow AWS to incorporate Nuton copper into its U.S. data centers while providing cloud-based analytics to optimize copper recovery. Although the 14,000 metric tons expected from Nuton will not meet all of AWS's copper needs, it represents a significant step in securing critical materials for data center construction amidst rising global copper demand. Analysts warn of a potential copper shortage affecting AI development and economic growth, with estimates indicating a 25% supply shortfall by 2040 due to dwindling mining output.
Comments