Amazon is buying copper harvested by bacteria for its data centers

Amazon’s data centers will reportedly utilize copper from a mine in Arizona that’s leaching metal from ores using microorganisms, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Amazon Web Services will be the first customer for Nuton Technologies, which developed the “bioleaching” technology. AWS will also be providing “cloud-based data and analytics support,” helping to optimize Nuton’s mining process.

Nuton’s bioleaching method uses naturally occurring microorganisms to extract copper from low-grade ore that would otherwise be too expensive to mine, while also using less water and producing less carbon emissions than traditional mining methods. This allows for harvesting more copper from previously closed mining sites, which could yield output much faster than opening a new mine. The AI boom is driving up demand and prices for copper, which is vital for making chips and data centers.

Nuton produced the first copper cathode using bioleaching in December, also at the Johnson Camp Mine where it will be extracting copper for Amazon.