Hudbay, Mitsubishi Approve Arizona Copper World Construction, Target 2029 Production

KEY POINTS  

• Hudbay and Mitsubishi approved construction of the Copper World open-pit mine in southern Arizona, targeting first production in the second half of 2029.

• The plan includes a 60,000-short-ton-per-day concentrator, a later expansion to 90,000 tons per day and an in-pit crushing and conveying system.

• Hudbay expects the project to create more than 1,000 construction jobs. Major permits for the initial mine plan have been obtained. 

Hudbay Minerals and Mitsubishi have approved construction of the Copper World project, an open-pit copper mine about 30 miles southeast of Tucson, Arizona.

Copper-focused miner Hudbay owns 70% of the project, while Japanese trading company Mitsubishi Corporation holds the remaining 30%. The companies are targeting first production in the second half of 2029, according to Hudbay’s Oct. 21 announcement.

The initial mine, concentrator and related infrastructure are planned to be built over 36 months before production begins.

How Will Copper World Help the US Domestic Copper Supply

Hudbay describes the project as "Designed to deliver finished copper directly to U.S. customers, Copper World will help ensure a strong domestic supply to meet the needs of the American people."

"Copper World provides responsibly sourced copper for the technologies that enable our modern lifestyles, from smartphones to electric vehicles to space, and beyond."

Copper is a key construction input, especially for electrical wiring and building systems, so its supply chain matters to project budgets as Copper World advances toward planned 2029 production. 

ConstructConnect Associate Economist Devin Bell said, "Copper World could bring welcome new domestic copper supply with the produce price index for copper and copper products up 43.4% year-over-year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. "

Bell added that, "The copper concentrate produced at the mine will need to be smelted and refined, though, and U.S. output at that stage is well below its 1990s highs."

Mine And Processing Plant Planned In First Phase

The Copper World mine will use shovels and trucks to extract ore and a flotation concentrator to produce copper and molybdenum concentrates. The concentrator grinds the ore and uses air bubbles in water to separate valuable minerals from waste rock.

Initial processing capacity is planned at 60,000 short tons per day. Hudbay’s plan calls for expanding the concentrator to 90,000 tons per day in the fifth year of operations.

An in-pit crushing and conveying system is scheduled for the third year of operations, ahead of the concentrator expansion. Designed to handle 100,000 tons per day, the system will move ore from the East pit to stockpiles and the processing plant, reducing reliance on haul trucks.

The project is expected to create more than 1,000 construction jobs in Arizona, Hudbay said.

Filtered Mine Waste Supports Expansion

Starting in the fifth year, the plan calls for filtering about one-third of the mine waste left after the ore is processed. On its project website, Hudbay said from this approach, it would "begin producing finished copper cathode on-site in the 5th year of operations."

Hudbay says the fifth-year plan will support the concentrator expansion without requiring an additional water supply. The initial mine plan is limited to the company’s private land and needs state and local permits.

Hudbay says it has obtained all major permits for construction and initial operations.

Federal Reserve data show U.S. copper smelting and refining output well below its 1990s highs, with the latest index reading at 96.3 (2017 = 100). Hudbay’s Copper World mine, approved for construction in Arizona, is planned to add domestic copper supply, with a potential later-stage leach facility that could produce copper cathode. Image: ConstructConnect

Potential Expansion in Year 10

A potential extension plan calls for mining to expand onto federal lands in year 10. The expansion could extend the mine life but would require federal permits, according to Hudbay.

Hudbay has mining operations in Canada, Peru and the United States.

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