Florence Copper marked an historic moment as the company officially launched commercial production at its Florence facility on Tuesday, Oct. 6.

The move is the first new U.S. major copper operation in nearly 20 years and the world’s first commercial‑scale in‑situ copper recovery project. 

For Arizona, a state built on the “Five Cs” — copper, cattle, cotton, citrus and climate — the milestone signals both a technological leap forward and a reaffirmation of copper’s place in the region’s economic identity.

An in-situ copper recovery (ISCR) or in-situ leaching (ISR) project extracts copper directly from underground ore deposits without open-pit mining, underground tunnels, blasting, rock crushing, waste rock piles or traditional tailing impoundments.

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For Stuart McDonald — president and CEO of Trekor Metals, the Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada parent company of Florence Copper — the day represents the culmination of more than a decade of work. Standing on the site where the company has spent years testing, permitting and building, McDonald described the launch as both a celebration and a turning point.

It’s a great day for us — certainly a chance to celebrate,” McDonald said. “It’s actually the first new source of copper in the U.S. in nearly 20 years.”

The Florence operation uses an innovative in‑situ copper recovery (ISCR) method, a process that extracts copper from deep underground through a network of injection and recovery wells. Instead of digging an open pit or moving massive quantities of rock, the company circulates a solution through the ore body, dissolves the copper underground and then plates it into finished copper cathode sheets on the surface. The approach is the first in the world at commercial scale.

“We’ve been working hard for the last 13 years on test work and environmental permitting,” McDonald said. 

Florence Copper received its final permits in late 2023 and spent two years constructing the commercial facility. Earlier this year, the operation began producing copper at scale, marking the start of a new chapter not just for the company but for domestic copper supply.

The environmental footprint of ISCR is one of the project’s defining features. McDonald emphasized that the method dramatically reduces land disturbance compared to conventional mining.

“There’s very little land disturbance,” he said. “We’re not digging a hole in the ground. There’s no waste rock, and the mining method uses significantly less water — about 78% less than a conventional mine — and less electricity and greenhouse gas emissions as well.”

The absence of open pits, blasting, tailings or waste rock piles means the land can be restored or repurposed once the operation closes. Florence Copper notes that the site could be returned to desert or reused for parks, housing or industrial development. That is a rare outcome in the mining world.

The environmental benefits are paired with a production model designed to strengthen domestic supply chains. Most copper mines produce concentrate, which must be shipped to a smelter for refining. Florence Copper produces finished copper cathode sheets on site, ready for delivery to U.S. manufacturers.

“We’re actually going to be producing the refined product right on site,” McDonald said. “Those copper sheets can be delivered right into the U.S. manufacturing base. In terms of supporting critical manufacturing industries domestically, it’s a big deal.”

Copper demand in the United States and globally is expected to surge in the coming decades, driven by electric vehicles, renewable energy, data centers and infrastructure modernization. Analysts project a 50% increase in demand by 2040, creating a widening gap between supply and need. Florence Copper’s production — all of which will remain in the United States — is positioned as part of the solution.

Since beginning commercial production in February, the operation has produced nearly 7 million pounds of copper. At full capacity, Florence Copper will generate 85 million pounds annually and 1.5 billion pounds over its more than 20‑year life.

The company celebrated the milestone on Oct. 6 at its Florence facility with remarks from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin. The program featured comments from Florence Copper general manager John Mays, Florence Mayor Keith Eaton and a recorded message from Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs

Florence Copper operates as a U.S. business, though its parent company, Trekor Metals, is publicly traded on both the New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange. 

For McDonald, the significance of the project extends beyond corporate milestones. It’s about contributing to Arizona’s long mining history while introducing a new model for how copper can be responsibly produced.

The Florence operation blends that history with innovation — a modern approach to copper production that reduces environmental impact, strengthens domestic supply and demonstrates how legacy industries can evolve. As the first commercial ISCR project in the world.

For the Town of Florence, the project brings national attention and long‑term economic activity. For the state, it reinforces copper’s role as both a historic pillar and a future‑focused resource. And for U.S. manufacturers, it offers a new domestic source of refined copper at a time when demand is accelerating.

“Such a great history here in the state of copper mining,” he said. “We’re glad to be a part of that.”

KEY FACTS

  • From February-June 2026, Florence Copper produced nearly 7 million pounds of copper metal.
  • At full capacity, Florence Copper will produce 85 million pounds of copper cathode annually, and 1.5 billion pounds over its more than 20-year lifetime.
  • Florence Copper supports more than 200 direct and 800 total jobs in Arizona, and will contribute more than $4 billion to Arizona’s GDP over the project lifetime, according to a study by ASU.
  • Florence Copper uses in-situ copper recovery, an innovative method that extracts copper in solution through a series of injection and recovery wells, which is then plated into LME Grade A copper cathode sheets on site.
  • As the first commercial-scale in-situ copper recovery operation in the world,       Florence Copper sets a new standard for environmental protection and conservation. The operation utilizes an estimated 78% less water and 65% less energy per pound of copper produced than conventional open-pit copper mining in Arizona.