Rio Tinto has achieved a milestone with the first copper produced from Gunnison Copper’s Johnson Camp mine in Arizona, US, using Nuton copper processing technology.
The Nuton technology, the result of more than 30 years of research and development, utilises proprietary bioleaching methods and is designed to improve copper extraction from primary sulphide ores while reducing environmental impact.
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The initial copper cathode was produced last month at the Johnson Camp mine through Rio Tinto’s Nuton bioleaching technology, using microorganisms cultivated on site to extract copper from ore.
The current deployment includes a technology package for a heap leach pad, with a production target of around 30,000 tonnes of refined copper over a four-year demonstration period.
Rio Tinto said it is in discussions with multiple prospective customers in the US to help strengthen the domestic copper supply chain.
Nuton technology uses naturally occurring microorganisms to extract copper from primary sulphide ores, which are generally difficult to process.
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By GlobalDataThese microbes, cultivated at scale in Nuton’s proprietary bioreactors, speed up the oxidation of minerals in the crushed ore heap.
This process generates heat and allows copper to dissolve into a leach solution, which is then processed into 99.99% pure copper cathode.
The technology is said to remove the need for traditional concentration, smelting and refining stages, streamlining supply chains and enabling copper cathode to be delivered directly at the mine gate.
Rio Tinto claimed the technology can achieve recovery rates of up to 85% from primary sulphides.
Nuton also offers the ability to extend mine life and optimise resource utilisation by extracting value from ores that might otherwise be considered waste.
This enhances yield and revenue at both new and existing mines, according to the company’s news release.
At the Johnson Camp mine, the aim is to achieve the lowest carbon footprint for copper production in the US.
Gunnison Copper CEO and president Stephen Twyerould said: “With Nuton copper now entering the US supply chain, this milestone underscores the critical role we can play in strengthening domestic access to cleaner, low-carbon copper.”
The resulting copper is expected to have a mine-to-metal carbon footprint of 0.82kg of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilogram (kg), while water usage is projected at 71 litres/kg of copper.
The next phase will focus on validating its long-term technical performance, including independent third-party verification, internal review by Rio Tinto and multi-year testing.
Rio Tinto Copper chief executive Katie Jackson said: “This is a breakthrough achievement for our Nuton technology, which is proving that cleaner, faster and more efficient copper production is possible at an industrial scale. In an industry where projects typically take about 18 years to move from concept to production, Nuton has now proven its ability to do this in just 18 months.
“Nuton has designed a modular system deployed as a technology package integrating biology, chemistry, engineering and digital tools, allowing it to be rapidly scaled and tailored to different ore bodies, unlocking resources that have historically been considered uneconomic or challenging.
“We are actively partnering on projects in North and South America to assess the potential for future deployment at additional sites in the coming years.”
