Our very first mine was a copper mine on the banks of the Rio Tinto river in Andalusia, Spain – bought in 1873 by a British-European investor group led by Scottish entrepreneur Hugh Matheson.

Today, our copper operations around the world are at various stages in the mining lifecycle, from exploration to rehabilitation. At each of our copper operations, we use leading-edge technologies that drive safe, efficient, and productive methods of extracting, processing, and refining copper, supplying customers in China, Japan, and the U.S.

Oyu Tolgoi, in the South Gobi region of Mongolia, is one of the largest known copper and gold deposits in the world. When the underground mine is complete, it will be the world’s largest copper mine.
Our Kennecott mine is a world-class, integrated copper mining operation located just outside Salt Lake City, Utah, in the United States. Our Kennecott mine produces gold and silver as by-products of our copper mining. In 2019, after 75 years of operation, Kennecott retired its coal-fired power plant in Magna, Utah. Power for the operation will come from renewable energy certificates purchased from Rocky Mountain Power – primarily from wind and solar resources.

Closing the plant and acquiring renewable energy certificates will remove more than one million tons of carbon dioxide every year from Kennecott’s Wasatch Front operations, reducing its annual carbon footprint by as much as 65%. The renewable energy certificate program is Green energy certified and meets the environmental and consumer-protection standards set by the Center for Resource Solutions.

In 2020, Kennecott and Oyu Tolgoi became the first producers to be awarded the Copper Mark, the copper industry’s new independent responsible production program. To achieve the Copper Mark – developed according to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals – Kennecott’s and Oyu Tolgoi’s copper was assessed against 32 criteria covering Environment, Community, Business and Human Rights, Labour and Working Conditions and Governance.

In the U.S., the Resolution Copper Project reached a significant milestone in 2019 with the release of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), which will allow us to continue progressing one of the world’s most significant copper deposits towards development.

And in 2020, we announced the maiden Resource at Winu, a copper and gold project in Western Australia with the potential to become a large-scale operation over time.

Did you know?

Kennecott’s copper:

• Includes recycled scrap metal, helping reduce waste: In 2018 alone, we recycled more than 2.8 million pounds of copper scrap metal – enough to provide the electrical wiring in 6,400 new homes.
• Is powered by renewable energy: By retiring its coal-fired power plant in 2019 and purchasing renewable energy certificates instead, Kennecott reduced its annual carbon footprint by around 65%. And in 2019, Kennecott was awarded Clean Air Business Partner of the Year from the Utah Clean Air Partnership for its collaboration in solving air quality challenges.
• Like all the materials we produce, our copper is essential for the future. Copper is the best non-precious conductor of heat and electricity on the planet. Because it can help things work more efficiently, copper will play an important part in the transition to a low-carbon economy. For example, a single 1MW wind turbine uses three tons of copper. And electric vehicles have a copper intensity 3-4 times higher than traditional vehicles.
• Kennecott and Oyu Tolgoi’s copper has been assessed against 32 criteria – based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals – across the environment, social, and governance categories. These include health and safety, emissions, human rights, and community development.
• We think copper is cool for so many reasons: it is tough but malleable, 100% recyclable, corrosion-resistant, and its antimicrobial properties can even help keep us safe.
• In 2020, our Kennecott copper mine in Utah, US, and Oyu Tolgoi, in Mongolia, became the world’s first producers to be awarded the Copper Mark – the industry’s independent assurance program – verifying the copper is responsibly produced.
• 6.2M pounds Copper Scrap Recycled Each Month at Kennecott in 2020.
• Copper also promises to play an essential role in the transition to the low-carbon economy. Just one 1MW wind turbine, for example, uses three tonnes of copper. And electric vehicles have a copper intensity 3-4 times higher than traditional vehicles. As a result, global demand for copper is set to grow 1.5%-2.5% per year, driven by electrification and increasing requirements for renewable energy.