BHP has partnered with seven companies to launch a demonstration project aimed at tracing the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions profile of copper from mine to finished cable, in a move designed to improve transparency across the copper value chain.
The pilot will test the use of a mass balance credit model to transfer and verify the environmental attributes of lower-emissions copper through multiple stages of production, from mining and smelting to cable manufacturing and end use.
Copper concentrate from BHP-operated Escondida copper mine in Chile will form the basis of the trial. Escondida has sourced 100 per cent of its purchased electricity from renewable energy since 2022, helping reduce the operational GHG emissions associated with copper production.
Under the demonstration, Mitsubishi Materials Corporation (MMC) will smelt the concentrate and produce copper wire rod, which will then be processed into copper cables by FCM Corporation and Yasaka Electric Wire using material supplied by Sambo Metals. The finished cables will be installed at an Amazon Japan logistics facility through Senshu Electric.
NTT Circurust and NTT DATA Japan will verify the information transfer process to assess whether the environmental attributes of the copper can be reliably traced through the supply chain using the mass balance credit model.
The companies said the project is intended to identify the challenges and opportunities associated with establishing a reliable value chain for copper products made from lower-GHG-emissions ore.
According to BHP, the mining industry has made progress in reducing emissions during ore production, but communicating those lower-emissions credentials through complex global supply chains remains a challenge.
As of June 2025, BHP had reduced operational GHG emissions across its operated assets by 36 per cent from its adjusted FY20 baseline and is working towards achieving net zero operational emissions by 2050. The company has used 100 per cent renewable electricity at its Escondida and Spence copper mines in Chile since 2022.
“Through this initiative, BHP aims to explore practical ways to support the recognition and transfer of GHG-emissions related environmental attributes from mine to end-use applications, and to contribute to improving transparency across complex value chains,” BHP said.
“BHP values collaboration across industry participants in advancing scalable mechanisms that can support the broader adoption of lower emissions materials, and sees this demonstration as an important step in identifying key considerations for future implementation.”
The demonstration will also evaluate the effectiveness of MMC’s guidelines for applying the mass balance credit model to copper products, which have been independently confirmed as compliant with ISO 22095 standards governing chain of custody systems.