Amazon is buying copper harvested by bacteria for its data centers
TL;DR
Amazon is purchasing copper extracted via bioleaching from Nuton Technologies for its data centers, using microorganisms to mine low-grade ore more sustainably.
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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 …