GLOBAL NEWS •
several potential customers in the US to support the domestic copper supply chain.
The first copper cathode using the company’ s proprietary bioleaching technology, which relies on micro-organisms grown on site, was produced at Gunnison Copper’ s Johnson Camp mine in November.
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.
Global news ensures 100 % of the site’ s electricity is matched by renewable sources. The copper produced is anticipated to have a mine-tometal carbon footprint of 0.82kg CO₂-e / kg kg copper, the lowest in the US and substantially lower than the projected 2026 global average of 3.4kg CO₂-e / kg among operating copper mines. Additionally, water intensity is anticipated to be 71l / kg of copper, compared to the global average industry estimate of ~ 130l / kg of copper production 2.
“ 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.”
The technology relies on naturally occurring micro-organisms to extract copper from primary sulphide ores, which are traditionally difficult to process. These microbes, grown at large scale in Nuton’ s proprietary bioreactors, accelerate the oxidation of minerals in the crushed ore heap, generating heat and enabling copper to dissolve into a leach solution, which is then processed into a 99.99 % pure copper cathode.
Significantly, processing copper ore with Nuton eliminates the need for concentration, smelting and refining, shortening supply chains and delivering copper cathode at the mine gate. It achieves recovery rates of up to 85 % from primary sulphides, the most abundant copper-bearing ores in the world.
It can also extend mine life and maximise resource use by extracting value from ores that would otherwise be classified as waste, increasing yield and revenue at both new and existing mines. Its environmental performance is expected to exceed conventional copper processing technologies, with up to 80 % less water usage and up to 60 % lower carbon emissions than the traditional concentrator route.
At Johnson Camp, Nuton aims to produce copper with the lowest carbon footprint in the US. Through the purchase of 134 000 Green-e Energy certified renewable energy certificates, Nuton
Gunnison Copper CEO and president Stephen Twyerould said,“ The first production of Nuton copper at Johnson Camp is the culmination of exceptional teamwork between Gunnison Copper and Rio Tinto’ s Nuton team. Achieving this level of performance in such a short time frame shows what is possible when innovation, operational excellence, and a shared vision come together. 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.”
While this milestone confirms Nuton’ s engineering and operational viability, the next phase will focus on validating long-term technical performance. This includes multi-year testing, independent third-party verification and internal review by Rio Tinto to ensure consistent recovery rates and environmental performance.
Source: supplied by Rio Tinto
References:
1. Includes ~ 16kt from run of mine leaching pad and ~ 14kt from Nuton technology.
2. Water and carbon emissions intensities for Johnson Camp and global averages have been validated by Skarn Associates, a leading provider of carbon and water intensity curves for the industry.
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. www. africanmining. co. za African Mining Publication African Mining African Mining • March 2026 • 9