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copper mining
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- 1Utah copper mine turns waste sludge into solar power●More than 71,000 solar panels on a Utah copper mine carry a metal pulled from the same sludge the refinery already mines for gold and silver, because 90 percent of the world's tellurium is locked inside copper ore, and the panels now power the operation tha
A copper mine in Utah has installed more than 71,000 solar panels that use tellurium, a metal extracted from the same refinery sludge already processed for gold and silver. Around 90 percent of the world's tellurium is locked inside copper ore, making copper refining a key supply route. The panels now power the mining operation itself, closing the loop between extraction and clean energy production.
- 2New tracker examines transition mineral mining in South America▼Transition Minerals Tracker 2026: South America
The Business and Human Rights Resource Centre has published the Transition Minerals Tracker 2026 for South America, compiling data on companies extracting minerals used in the energy transition, such as lithium and copper. The tracker monitors human rights allegations against mining firms across the region, a key supplier of raw materials for batteries and renewable technology.