Bacteria-Powered Mine Supplies Copper to Amazon Data Centers

The future of mining just got a major upgrade, and it's powered by tiny organisms you can't even see.

Amazon Web Services announced it will purchase copper from Nuton Technologies, which uses naturally occurring bacteria to extract metal from low-grade ore at Arizona's Johnson Camp mine. This "bioleaching" process reopens mining sites that were previously abandoned because traditional methods couldn't profitably extract the remaining copper.

The technology solves multiple problems at once. Bioleaching uses significantly less water than conventional mining and produces fewer carbon emissions. It also allows miners to harvest copper from ore that was once considered worthless, extending the life of existing mines without the environmental cost of opening new ones.

The timing couldn't be better. The artificial intelligence boom has sent copper demand and prices soaring. Data centers and computer chips both require substantial amounts of copper, and new mines typically take years to open and start producing.

Nuton already produced its first copper cathode using bioleaching in December at the same Arizona location. Now, with Amazon as its anchor customer, the company can scale production to meet growing demand.

Amazon isn't just buying the copper. AWS will provide cloud-based data and analytics support to help optimize Nuton's mining operations, creating a partnership that could accelerate the technology's development.

The Ripple Effect

This partnership could transform how we think about resource extraction. Thousands of closed mines across America still contain valuable minerals that traditional methods can't economically recover. Bioleaching technology could bring these sites back to life while creating jobs in communities that lost them when mines originally shut down.

The environmental benefits extend beyond just one mine. If bioleaching becomes the industry standard, mining could shift from one of the most resource-intensive industries to a more sustainable operation that works with nature rather than against it.

The bacteria doing the heavy lifting aren't genetically modified superbugs. They're naturally occurring microorganisms that have been breaking down rocks for millions of years. Scientists simply harnessed what nature already knew how to do.

For AWS, securing a domestic copper supply helps stabilize costs and reduce dependence on international mining operations. For communities near reopened mines, it means economic opportunity without the environmental damage of traditional extraction.

The copper from Johnson Camp will power data centers that run everything from streaming services to cloud computing to artificial intelligence systems, connecting microscopic organisms in Arizona to technology used by billions worldwide.