AWS and Rio Tinto Rethink Data Centre Copper Supply Strategy

Rio Tinto’s collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) is reshaping how critical materials are sourced for large-scale digital infrastructure in the US.

Under a two-year agreement, AWS will source lower-carbon copper for components used in its US data centres while providing cloud analytics to support Rio Tinto’s Nuton Technology bioleaching platform. 

The partnership brings together mining innovation and hyperscale demand at a time when data centre operators are under pressure to secure resilient, lower-emissions supply chains.

Copper is a core material for data centres, used extensively in power distribution, transformers, cabling and electronics. As facilities scale to support AI workloads, demand for copper continues to rise, increasing scrutiny of how and where it is produced.

From mine to data centre

The agreement makes AWS the first customer for copper produced using Nuton Technology following its industrial-scale deployment at the Johnson Camp copper mine in the US.

Nuton’s bioleaching process extracts copper from sulphide ores using naturally occurring microorganisms rather than traditional smelting and refining.

This approach shortens the mine-to-market value chain by producing 99.99% pure copper cathode directly at the mine gate. By removing the need for concentrators, smelters and refineries, the process reduces energy use, water consumption and associated carbon emissions.

For AWS, the deal provides access to domestically produced copper that can be integrated into data centre infrastructure closer to where it is deployed. On Rio Tinto’s side, it establishes a demand anchor that supports the scaling of a new production method.

Cloud analytics meets mining operations

As part of the collaboration, AWS will supply cloud-based data and analytics tools to accelerate the optimisation of Nuton’s bioleaching operations. These tools will be used to simulate heap-leach performance and feed advanced analytics into decision systems at the Johnson Camp site.

The use of cloud computing allows Nuton to refine acid and water usage while improving recovery predictions. This digital feedback loop is designed to speed up the path from concept to production and enable modular scaling across different ore bodies.

Rio Tinto’s Chief Executive for Copper, Katie Jackson, says: "This collaboration is a powerful example of how industrial innovation and cloud technology can combine to deliver cleaner, lower-carbon materials at scale.

"Nuton has already proven its ability to rapidly move from idea to industrial production, and AWS’s data and analytics expertise will help us to accelerate optimisation and verification across operations," she adds.

"Importantly, by bringing Nuton copper into AWS’s US 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.

"Together we can supply the copper critical to modern data infrastructure while demonstrating how mining can contribute to more sustainable supply chains."

Why copper matters for data centres

Copper plays a central role across data centre systems. It is used in high-voltage and low-voltage cabling, busbars, transformer windings, motors, printed circuit boards and processor heat sinks. As rack densities increase and power delivery becomes more complex, the volume and quality of copper required continues to grow.

At the same time, data centre operators are increasingly focused on Scope 3 emissions embedded in construction materials and equipment. Lower-carbon copper sourced through shorter supply chains can help reduce the lifecycle footprint of new facilities.

The Nuton process is projected to use substantially less water than conventional concentrator routes and to recover value from ore previously classified as waste. This has implications not only for emissions but also for long-term material availability.

Sustainability and resilience objectives

From AWS’s perspective, the partnership aligns with broader climate and infrastructure goals.

Amazon’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Kara Hurst, says: “Amazon’s Climate Pledge goal to reach net zero carbon by 2040 requires us to innovate across every part of our operations, including how we source the materials that power our infrastructure.

“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 centre operations, securing access to lower-carbon materials produced close to home strengthens both our supply chain resilience and our ability to decarbonise at scale.”

The agreement illustrates how hyperscale operators are moving upstream to influence material production, using long-term demand and digital capability to reshape the supply chains that underpin data centre growth.