Article by Eli Greenblat, courtesy of The Australian
20.04.2025
A long-delayed copper project in Arizona controlled by Rio Tinto and backed by BHP has been fast-tracked by the Trump White House as the US and China vie for supremacy in the minerals vital to the energy transition and advanced military hardware.
Tied up in environmental and court appeals, native title and regulatory red tape for more than a decade, the Resolution Copper mine is among a handful of 10 projects granted ‘‘Fast-41’’ status by the White House over the Easter weekend.
The application of Fast 41 to streamline the approvals process behind critical minerals production is in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order, issued in March, aimed at creating jobs, fuelling American prosperity and significantly reducing the US’s reliance on foreign powers.
The proposed underground mine, around 100km east of Phoenix, Arizona, is expected to become the largest copper mine in North America, capable of meeting up to 25 per cent of total US copper demand each year.
As the trade war between the US and China heats up, both nations are keen to access key commodities such as copper, which is used in aircraft, naval vessels, wiring for guidance systems and ammunition, as well as being core to renewable energy technology and batteries.
The Resolution Copper project, 55 per cent-owned by Rio and 45 per cent by BHP, was top of the list released by the Trump administration on Friday. The list also included gold, lithium and coal projects.
Starting its permit process in 2013, Resolution Copper faced environmental issues as well as protests from the San Carlos Apache Tribe, which saw the project paused by the Biden administration.
Now the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council has announced increased transparency, accountability and predictability for the permitting review process for the first wave of critical mineral production projects, in response to President Trump’s executive order.
Resolution Copper welcomed the White House’s announcement.
“We appreciate the federal government’s recognition of the essential role domestic copper production plays in supporting national security, manufacturing, and economic resilience,” the miner said in a statement.
“Resolution Copper can be a domestic source of at least seven other strategic and critical minerals that are found in the mine’s deposit, including indium, tellurium, bismuth and rhenium.
“These minerals can be used in a variety of materials and technologies ranging from semiconductors, aerospace, energy and national security.”
Resolution Copper has previously stated the deposit’s average grade is estimated at 1.5 per cent copper.
The owner’s aim is that the mine will produce as much as 40 billion pounds of copper over 40 years.
Vicky Peacey, general manager at Resolution Copper, said there was growing recognition of the urgent need to develop domestic sources of copper and other critical materials to support the nation’s energy security and industrial base.
“The Resolution Copper mine is vital to securing America’s energy future and infrastructure needs with a domestic supply of copper and other critical minerals. We are encouraged by the strong community and regional support for the project which has the potential to be one of America’s biggest copper mines, add $US1bn a year to Arizona’s economy, and create thousands of local jobs in a region where mining has played an important role for more than a century.
“We are committed to playing a meaningful role in helping to deliver these materials and will continue to engage constructively in the national dialogue.”
US Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins said launching Arizona’s Resolution mine was a significant step towards “unleashing American energy and mineral production”, ensuring consistent domestic production of critical minerals like copper.
“President Trump has made it clear that his administration is putting America first and we will not be dependent on other countries when we have abundant natural resources right here in America.”
Resolution is among a number of flagship copper projects owned or part-owned by mining giant Rio.
Its portfolio also includes Oyu Tolgoi in the South Gobi region of Mongolia, which will be the fourth-largest copper mine in the world.
And copper was at the heart of BHP’s failed attempt at buying Anglo-American, before it walked away from the $74bn deal in May last year.
Last month, Rio redrew its plans for Australia’s next big copper-gold mine after the shock discovery of one of the world’s rarest birds within its perimeter: the night parrot.
Unlike Resolution, the Western Australian Winu project is regarded as a mid-size mine by Rio’s standards. The preliminary mine plans involve a development footprint of almost 40,000 hectares in an area about 320km east of Port Hedland.
