Item 1 of 2 A technician works at the Amazon Web Services AI data center in New Carlisle, Indiana, USA on October 2, 2025. Reuters/Noah Berger for AWS/File photo
[1/2]A technician works at the Amazon Web Services AI data center in New Carlisle, Indiana, USA, on October 2, 2025. Reuters/Noah Berger, AWS/File Photo Purchase License rightopens a new tab
January 15 (Reuters) – Rio Tinto (RIO.L)opens a new tab announced Thursday that it will supply copper leached from its Arizona mine to Amazon.com (AMZN.O).opens a new tab It is intended for use in the tech giant’s artificial intelligence data center.
The move highlights the AI industry’s ferocious push for access to supplies of copper and other critical minerals used to make wiring, cables, circuit boards and other electronic components.
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Global demand for copper is expected to rise by 50% by 2040 due to growth in the AI sector, but analysts warn there could be significant supply shortages, prompting a rush to secure access.
Under the two-year agreement, companies that make components for Amazon Web Services will use copper produced by Rio’s Newton leaching program from mines owned by Gunnison Copper (GCU.TO).opens a new tab.
The companies did not disclose financial terms or production volumes. Rio did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
Nuton technology uses bacteria that naturally generate heat when applied to certain types of rock, helping to extract copper.
Rio has been researching leaching for more than 30 years. The leaching program was named “Newton” after Isaac Newton, the 17th century British scientist who first developed the theory of gravity.
Freeport-McMoRan (FCX.N)opens a new tabis the largest copper producer in the United States and has been using leaching techniques for many years. About 300 million pounds of copper was leached last year, and by 2030, 800 million pounds per year is expected to be leached.
Copper prices have climbed 40% over the past year to more than $13,000 a tonne on the London Metal Exchange as expectations for a surge in demand from AI-powered data centers collide with tight global supplies.
Copper is valued for its high electrical conductivity, making it essential for power grids, electric vehicles, and infrastructure critical to the energy transition.
Reporting by Yagnoseni Das in Bangalore and Ernest Scheider in Houston. Editing: Alan Barona
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