Gunnison Copper Corp. $GCU (+3,94 %) announces the strategic collaboration of Rio Tinto $RIO (-1,44 %)
$RIO (-3,25 %) with Amazon Web Services (AWS) $AMZN (-1,02 %) making AWS Nuton Technology's first customer following last month's groundbreaking first industrial application of innovative bioleaching technology at Gunnison's Johnson Camp copper mine in the US.
Under the agreement, AWS will use Nuton's first-ever produced copper in components of its U.S. data centers while providing cloud-based data and analytics support to accelerate the optimization of Nuton's proprietary bioleaching technology at Gunnison Copper's Johnson Camp Mine.
Data centers use copper in a variety of applications, including electrical cables and busbars, windings in transformers and motors, circuit boards and heat sinks on processors.
Nuton also uses AWS platforms to simulate heap leach plant performance and feed advanced analytics into Nuton's decision-making systems, optimizing acid and water consumption while improving copper recovery predictions.
Nuton's modular bioleaching system extracts copper from primary sulphide materials using naturally occurring microorganisms. This modular approach combined with digital tools enables rapid scaling and adaptation of the technology to different mineralized material bodies, shortening the path from concept to production.
The process produces 99.99% pure copper cathode metal directly at the mine and eliminates the need for conventional concentrators, smelters and refineries, significantly shortening the supply chain from mine to market. Nuton is expected to consume significantly less water and produce lower CO2 emissions than conventional concentrator processes, while recovering valuable materials from materials previously classified as waste.
Katie Jackson, Managing Director of Rio Tinto Copper, said: "This collaboration is a powerful example of how industrial innovation and cloud technology can work together to deliver cleaner, lower carbon materials at scale. Nuton has already demonstrated its ability to quickly turn ideas into industrial production, and AWS' data and analytics expertise will help us accelerate the optimization and verification of all operations."
"Importantly, by integrating Nuton Copper into AWS' U.S. data center supply chain, we are helping to strengthen the country's resiliency and secure the critical materials these facilities need closer to where they are used. Together, we can provide the copper essential to modern data infrastructure while demonstrating how mining can contribute to more sustainable supply chains."
Kara Hurst, Chief Sustainability Officer at Amazon, said: "Amazon's Climate Pledge goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2040 requires innovation in all areas of our operations, including how we source the materials that power our infrastructure."
"This collaboration with Nuton Technology is exactly the breakthrough we need - a fundamentally different approach to copper production that will help reduce CO2 emissions and water consumption. As we continue to invest in next-generation carbon-free energy technologies and expand our data center operations, securing access to lower-carbon materials produced close to our site strengthens both the resilience of our supply chain and our ability to decarbonize at scale."
Stephen Twyerould, Chief Executive Officer and President of Gunnison Copper, said: "The use of the first Nuton copper from Johnson Camp in AWS' US data centers is an important milestone in the ability of this innovative technology to deliver lower-carbon, domestically produced and used copper. This collaboration demonstrates how innovation, digital optimization and U.S. copper production can strengthen U.S. supply chains while supporting the growing demand for critical minerals for modern infrastructure."
