AI Data Centers Could Consume Half a Million Tons of Copper Annually by 2030

A conventional data center uses between 5,000 and 15,000 tons of copper. A hyperscale data center, on the other hand—the kind being built to run artificial intelligence (AI)—can require up to 50,000 tons of copper per facility, according to the Copper Development Association.

Think about that for a second. A single AI data center that uses more copper than three conventional facilities combined.

That’s why I think the AI story is about much more than just raw compute power. It also involves electrical infrastructure at a scale we’ve never seen before. And these massive facilities have an insatiable appetite for copper.

It’s not hard to see why the red metal has been on fire in 2025. Just this week, it hit a fresh record high, surging past $11,705 per metric ton on the London Metal Exchange (LME), an increase of 32% from the start of the year. (And if you think that’s impressive, consider that gold, silver and copper are all reaching new all-time highs together for the first time in 45 years.)

Investment banks are bullish. JPMorgan expects copper to reach $12,500 per ton in the second quarter of 2026, averaging around $12,075 for the full year. UBS is even more optimistic, projecting $13,000 by the end of next year.

Why Rising Copper Prices Won’t Slow AI Buildout

Data centers currently consume about 1.5% of global electricity supply, roughly the same amount as the entire U.K., according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). The organization believes that, by 2030, demand will more than double, with AI responsible for much of the increase. That means data centers could be consuming more than half a million metric tons of copper annually by the end of the decade.

As executive chairman of HIVE Digital Technologies, I’ve watched this transformation firsthand. The infrastructure needed to power this new digital economy—whether it’s Bitcoin mining, AI training or cloud computing—is staggering. And it all runs on copper.

But here’s the thing: unlike other sectors where high input costs might take a bite out of demand, data center developers are largely indifferent to copper prices. According to Wood Mackenzie (WoodMac), the metal accounts for less than 0.50% of total project costs, which is little more than a rounding error.

Demand, then, is relatively price-inelastic. Data centers will be built whether copper is trading at $10,000 or $20,000.