随着数据中心和电网的迅速扩张推高了对铜的需求，Ivanhoe Electric公司目前正与潜在买家就其亚利桑那州项目的铜产品供应进行深入谈判。
Electric Inc. is in advanced talks with prospective buyers for copper from its project in Arizona, as the rapid expansion of data centers and power grids stokes demand for the metal.
首席执行官泰勒·梅尔文（Taylor Melvin）周四在接受采访时表示，圣克鲁斯（Santa Cruz）采矿项目的铜已经吸引了传统贸易商以及寻求为美国工业采购供应的潜在战略合作伙伴的兴趣，但他拒绝透露参与谈判者的名称。
Copper from the Santa Cruz mining project has drawn interest from traditional traders as well as potential strategic partners seeking supplies for US industries, Chief Executive Officer Taylor Melvin said in an interview Thursday, declining to name those involved in the talks.
建设支持人工智能的基础设施的竞赛使全球铜供应趋于紧张，同时价格也在历史高位附近徘徊。由矿业亿万富翁罗伯特·弗里德兰（Robert Friedland）创立的Ivanhoe Electric拥有一系列矿产项目，其中包括圣克鲁斯项目，并且正与美国政府的出口信贷机构合作，为该项目争取最高达11亿美元的债务融资方案。
The race to build out infrastructure to support artificial intelligence has tightened copper supplies globally as prices hover near all-time highs. Ivanhoe Electric, founded by mining billionaire Robert Friedland, holds a portfolio of mineral projects, including Santa Cruz, and is working with the US government’s export credit agency on as much as a $1.1 billion debt financing package for the site.
梅尔文表示，随着全球铜需求增长速度将超过供应增长，美国对新的国内产量的需求尤其迫切。“我们需要的不止是圣克鲁斯来填补这个缺口，”这位CEO说。
With global copper demand growth set to outpace supply, the US faces an especially acute need for new domestic production, Melvin said. “We need a lot more than Santa Cruz to fill that gap,” the CEO said.
他补充说，圣克鲁斯项目的包销协议可能包括融资。梅尔文表示，除了美国进出口银行（US Export-Import Bank）提出的债务交易外，Ivanhoe Electric还在与大约十几家商业银行讨论项目融资事宜。
Offtake deals for the Santa Cruz project could include financing, he added. In addition to a proposed debt deal from the US Export-Import Bank, Ivanhoe Electric is discussing project financing with about a dozen commercial banks, Melvin said.
随着新的数据中心交易以极快的速度达成，对铜需求巨大的最大云计算服务商已经在寻求锁定期货供应。能够加速铜生产的工艺对买家具有吸引力。
As new data center deals come together at a rapid clip, the largest cloud-computing providers with copper-intensive needs are already looking to lock in future supplies. Processes that can speed up the production of copper are a draw for buyers.
今年早些时候，亚马逊公司（Amazon.com Inc.）同意从亚利桑那州的一座冈尼森铜业公司（Gunnison Copper Corp.）矿山购买铜，这些铜采用力拓集团（Rio Tinto Group）的专利浸出技术生产，从而避免了传统的熔炼和精炼需求。这批金属将用于亚马逊的数据中心。
Earlier this year, Amazon.com Inc. agreed to buy copper that’s produced using Rio Tinto Group’s proprietary leaching technology, which avoids the need for conventional smelting and refining, from a Gunnison Copper Corp. mine in Arizona. The metal is destined for Amazon data centers.
梅尔文表示，圣克鲁斯将采用一种对美国而言相对新颖的现场工艺来生产阴极铜，这将使买家向电线、电缆和箔材等产品更近一步。Ivanhoe一直将这种方法作为其低排放运营计划的一部分进行宣传。
Santa Cruz will use a relatively novel on-site process for the US to produce copper cathode that will put buyers one step closer to products such as wire, cable and foil, Melvin said. Ivanhoe has touted the approach as part of plans for a lower-emissions operation.
该矿的第一阶段预计耗资14亿美元，首批产量目标定在2029年。梅尔文表示，如果与附近的资源结合起来，圣克鲁斯有望成为美国顶级的铜产区之一。
The initial phase of the mine is expected to cost $1.4 billion, with first output targeted for 2029. When combined with nearby resources, Santa Cruz has the potential to be one of the top US copper-producing regions, Melvin said.