- AWS demand dwarfs Arizona copper production despite renewed domestic mining
- Nuton technology shortens copper processing and leaves scale limitations unresolved
- Only part of the agreement relies on Rio Tinto’s lower carbon approach
As global demand for copper continues to rise, Amazon Web Services has agreed to buy newly mined copper from Rio Tinto’s Arizona operations, marking the first domestic copper supply in more than a decade.
The material will primarily come from the Johnson Camp mine, which has been restarted as a test site for Rio Tinto’s Nuton bioleaching process.
The deal links copper output directly to US data center construction, where demand has surged due to expanded computing infrastructure.
Nuton technology and digital supervision
Each hyperscale plant requires very large volumes of copper, raising questions about how much impact a single mine can realistically have.
Nuton relies on naturally occurring microorganisms to extract copper from primary sulphide ores, avoiding several stages common in conventional processing.
The method produces a copper cathode at the mine site, reducing reliance on concentrators, smelters and refineries.
AWS infrastructure supports simulations of heap-leach behavior and feeds analytics into operational decisions.
These systems are similar to those used to control AI tools in large software environments, although their effectiveness depends on the quality and stability of geological input data rather than model sophistication alone.
Rio Tinto claims Nuton uses less water and generates lower carbon emissions than standard concentrator routes, while enabling recovery from ore previously classified as waste.
The process reportedly delivers 99.99% pure copper cathode, simplifying downstream logistics.
However, published projections indicate that only a portion of the total copper delivered under the agreement will come from this method.
Additional tonnage will be added through conventional mine tailings, reducing the overall environmental benefit claimed for the collaboration.
Over the next four years, Rio Tinto will produce around 14,000 tonnes of Nuton copper, with a delivery of almost 30,000 tonnes when including conventional leaching.
A single large data center can consume tens of thousands of tons alone, showing that the deal covers only a small fraction of AWS demand.
Beyond physical supply, the deal gives AWS an early foothold in upstream materials tied to AI-driven infrastructure growth.
Copper remains critical to building the electrical systems that power data centers, making availability a practical limitation for large-scale AI deployments, including LLMs.
“Amazon’s Climate Pledge goal of reaching net-zero carbon by 2040 requires us to innovate across all parts of our operations, including how we source the materials that power our infrastructure,” said Amazon’s chief sustainability officer, Kara Hurst.
“This collaboration with Nuton Technology represents exactly the kind of breakthrough we need – a fundamentally different approach to copper production that helps reduce carbon emissions and water use. As we continue to invest in next-generation carbon-free energy technology and expand our data center operations, securing access to low-carbon materials produced close to home strengthens both our supply chain resilience and our ability to decarbonize at scale.”
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