Rio Tinto (RIO) and Amazon Web Services (AMZN) inked a two-year agreement to make AWS the first customer for copper produced with Rio Tinto’s (RIO) Nuton bioleaching technology, with the metal to be used in components of AWS’s U.S. data centers. The deal is notable because it links lower-carbon, domestically produced copper from Gunnison Copper’s Johnson Camp mine in Arizona into AWS’s data-center supply chain, targeting more sustainable and resilient sourcing of a critical material for power, wiring, and cooling infrastructure.
Under the terms of the partnership, AWS will not only purchase and use the initial Nuton copper output but will also provide cloud-based data and analytics services to help Rio Tinto (RIO) and Gunnison optimize Nuton’s proprietary bioleaching processes at the Johnson Camp operation. Notably, nuton technology is designed to deliver copper with significantly reduced carbon emissions and water use compared with conventional concentrator and smelting routes, supporting Amazon’s (AMZN) Climate Pledge goal to reach net zero carbon by 2040
“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,” stated Amazon (AMZN) Chief Sustainability Officer Kara Hurst.
Shares of Rio Tinto (RIO) edged 0.3% higher in premarket action. Amazon (AMZN) was up 0.6% in the early session.