Copper

New Sources of Copper are Critical to America's Energy Future

Products with copper increase economic efficiency and environmental performance in multiple applications

“Business as Usual” growth would require 78 new copper mines between now and 2050 that would produce 500,000 metric tons of copper per year1

Transitioning to green energy significantly increases demand

Building out infrastructure for emerging economies like Indian and Africa will require 100s of millions to a billion metric tons of copper, respectively1

Data Centers and AI increase power demand requiring more infrastructure and more copper

Copper is a critical mineral in the US and Canada and has been identified as critical and strategic in the EU. “Critical minerals are essential for national security, economic stability and supply chain resilience because they underpin key industries, drive technological innovation and support critical infrastructure vital for a modern American economy.”2

Read about the 2025 US List of Critical Minerals at:

https://www.usgs.gov/programs/mineral-resources-program/science/about-2025-list-critical-minerals

 

The need for copper continues to grow, driven by electrification, technology and defense. A study by S&P Global, Copper in the Age of AI3, analyzes the global outlook for copper supply and demand through 2040.

  • Projected 50% increase in demand - from 28 million metric tons to 42 million metric tonnes by 2040
  • Potential shortfall in supply of 10 million metric tons is projected by 2040 without meaningful supply expansion

Read the S&P Report at:  

https://www.spglobal.com/en/research-insights/special-reports/copper-in-the-age-of-ai

 

 

Transition to clean energy embedded in key economic recovery policies

  • US Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes significant expenditures on clean energy, EV infrastructure and other transportation initiatives4
  • US Inflation Reduction Act includes an investment of over $360 billion over 10 years to increase energy security and address climate change5
  • EU Green Deal calls for clean energy for green recovery and growth
  • China 14th Five-Year Plan calls for aggressive sustainable energy goals to reach carbon neutrality by 2060

New Technologies use Even More Copper

  • Expansion of Data Centers and Artificial Intelligence (AI) could increase global copper demand by 3.4 million tonnes annually by 20507

  • Data Centers currently use <1% of energy but expenced to rise to 6-7% by 20507

    • Operators now planning and constructing facilities with 200-500 MW capacity8
    • Estimated that each 1 MW of power needs 20-40 tonnes of copper in the data6

Recycling cannot fill the gap

  • Global manufacturers (2006-2015) used 25 Mt of copper, 35% was recycled copper9
  • Even a 100% end-of-life recycling rate for metals is not enough to meet the growing demand for clean energy technologies10

And there are Supply Chain Challenges...

  • New mines take 17 years on average to develop
  • Six countries currently produce two-thirds of mined copper
  • China controls ~60% of global smelting capacity

References

  1. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-copper-world-require-price.html
  2. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/11/07/2025-19813/final-2025-list-of-critical-minerals
  3. https://www.spglobal.com/en/research-insights/special-reports/copper-in-the-age-of-ai
  4. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/08/02/updated-fact-sheet-bipartisan-infrastructure-investment-and-jobs-act/<
  5. https://www.whitehouse.gov/cleanenergy/clean-energy-tax-provisions/
  6. Source: AI could add 1 million tonnes to copper demand by 2030, Trafigura chief economist says. https://www.mining.com/ai-could-drive-1mtpa-increase-in-copper-demand-trafigura-chief-economist-says/ 
  7. Source: How the AI Data Centre Boom Could Threaten Global Copper. https://datacentremagazine.com/data-centres/bhp-warns-ai-boom-could-worsen-copper-shortage
  8. Source: Data centre boom reveals AI hype’s physical limit
  9. https://sn.astm.org/features/bright-future-recycled-copper-jf22.html
  10. https://copperalliance.org/policy-focus/society-economy/circular-economy

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