Gunnison talks use of Nuton copper in AWS data centres

Executive Summary

• Gunnison Copper Corp. announced that Rio Tinto’s Nuton Technology has secured Amazon Web Services (AWS) as its first customer for low-carbon copper produced via Nuton’s bioleaching technology at Gunnison’s Johnson Camp mine.
• Under the agreement, AWS will utilize the first industrial-scale Nuton copper produced in components for its U.S. data centers and will provide cloud-based data and analytics support to optimize Nuton’s bioleaching processes.
• The collaboration highlights a shift toward shorter, lower-carbon supply chains, with Nuton’s technology producing 99.99% pure copper cathode directly at the mine gate, eliminating the need for traditional concentrators, smelters, and refineries.

Key Details

• Parties Involved: Gunnison Copper Corp., Rio Tinto (via Nuton Technology), and Amazon Web Services (AWS).
• Transaction Structure: AWS is the first customer for Nuton copper; AWS provides cloud data/analytics support to accelerate technology optimization.
• Technology: Nuton’s modular bioleaching system uses naturally occurring micro-organisms to extract copper from primary sulphide material.
• Operational Benefits:
  • Produces 99.99% pure copper cathode at the mine gate.
  • Eliminates need for traditional concentrators, smelters, and refineries.
  • Significantly shortens the mine-to-market supply chain.
  • Projected to use substantially less water and have lower carbon emissions compared to conventional routes.
  • Recovers value from material previously classified as waste.
• Johnson Camp Asset Status:
  • Currently in production.
  • Fully financed by Nuton LLC (a Rio Tinto venture).
  • Production capacity of up to 25 million pounds of finished copper cathode annually.
• Gunnison Copper Project Overview (Flagship Asset):
  • Located in the Cochise mining district, Southern Arizona.
  • Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource: >831.6 million tons at 0.31% Cu.
  • Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) Metrics:
    • Net Present Value (8% discount): $1.3 billion.
    • Internal Rate of Return: 20.9%.
    • Payback Period: 4.1 years.
  • Development Plan: Conventional operation with open-pit mining, heap leach, and SX/EW refinery with direct rail link.

Notable Quotes

• Katie Jackson, Rio Tinto Copper CEO: "This collaboration is a powerful example of how industrial innovation and cloud technology can combine to deliver cleaner, lower-carbon materials at scale... by bringing Nuton copper into AWS's U.S. data centre supply chain, we're helping to strengthen domestic resilience and secure the critical materials those facilities need, closer to where they're used."
• Kara Hurst, Amazon Chief Sustainability Officer: "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... securing access to lower-carbon materials produced close to home strengthens both our supply chain resilience and our ability to decarbonize at scale."
• Dr. Stephen Twyerould, Gunnison Copper CEO: "Having the first Nuton copper produced from Johnson Camp used in AWS's U.S. data centres is a significant milestone for this innovative technology's ability to deliver lower-carbon, domestically produced and used copper."