Arizona has long been defined by its natural resources. Copper helped build the state’s economy in the 1880s and has powered American industry and supported generations of families across Southern Arizona ever since. Today, a new chapter is emerging driven by a broader national need for the materials that power modern life, strengthen energy security and support advanced manufacturing.
At the center of that opportunity is South32 Hermosa in Santa Cruz County. As the United States works to secure domestic supply chains and reduce dependence on foreign adversaries for critical minerals, Southern Arizona has an opportunity to play a defining role.
From electric vehicles and battery storage to renewable energy infrastructure, semiconductors and national defense technologies, critical minerals are increasingly essential to both our economy and our security. Yet today, America remains heavily reliant on overseas supplies for many of the materials that make these technologies possible.
Hermosa represents a chance to help change that. We’re developing Hermosa as an advanced mining project that could produce as many as five federally designated critical minerals – including zinc and manganese – essential for powering the nation’s energy future. It also contains significant silver, copper and lead that are vital to modern infrastructure and energy systems.
These minerals are everywhere around us from inside the vehicles we drive, the electrical systems and plumbing that power our homes to the batteries that store energy and power our medical devices and artificial intelligence, and the technologies our military depends upon.
In many ways, the question is no longer whether projects like Hermosa will help shape America’s critical minerals future, but whether the United States will seize the opportunity to build them responsibly here at home.
Zinc, in particular, deserves far more attention in the national conversation.
While many Americans associate zinc with vitamins or sunscreen, its most important role is protecting infrastructure from corrosion. Zinc is essential for galvanizing steel, helping extend the life of roads and bridges, transmission towers, rail systems, ports, pipelines and military infrastructure. It is foundational to the physical systems that keep the economy moving and the power grid functioning.
Demand for zinc is expected to rise significantly in the coming years as the nation modernizes infrastructure and expands energy systems. At the same time, analysts are warning of an emerging global zinc supply gap with primary demand growth expected to outpace production by as much as 4 million tons by 2034.
With 94% of zinc production occurring abroad, Hermosa’s zinc deposit has the potential to help address that challenge with a long-life domestic supply source at a moment when the United States urgently needs greater resilience in critical supply chains. Hermosa’s zinc deposit has been the only major zinc discovery made in the past decade in the world. In fact, the equivalent of three Hermosa zinc-sized projects would need to be developed each year to meet projected global demand.
Manganese is equally important — and perhaps even more overlooked.
Manganese is a key ingredient in many advanced vehicle batteries and energy storage technologies. It has the potential to help make batteries more affordable and scalable, which is critical as the United States seeks to build out a domestic battery supply chain. Yet despite its importance, there has been no manganese ore mining in the United States since the 1970s, and more than 95% of battery-grade manganese processing currently occurs in a single country.
That is a strategic vulnerability.
Hermosa has the potential to become the nation’s first fully integrated source of battery-grade manganese, with plans to explore processing the material domestically. That would not only strengthen American energy security but also help create a more resilient North American battery supply chain.
The importance of that opportunity has already drawn federal attention. Hermosa has received support from both the Department of Energy and the Department of War because policymakers increasingly recognize that critical minerals are not simply an economic issue. They are central to national competitiveness and security.
Hermosa’s broader mineral portfolio also matters. Silver plays a critical role in solar panels and electronics. Copper remains indispensable for electrification and grid expansion. Lead continues to support industrial and energy applications. Together, these resources position Southern Arizona as an important contributor to the technologies and infrastructure shaping the 21st century economy.
But for South32, Hermosa has never been only about minerals. From the beginning, it has been guided by its purpose of improving lives for generations to come.
That means investing in workforce development and training programs that help local residents build long-term careers. It means supporting local infrastructure and economic growth. It means engaging communities transparently and creating shared value in a region that has too often faced economic challenges and limited investment.
We believe responsible resource development and strong communities can go hand in hand.
Arizona helped power America’s past industrial growth. Today, Southern Arizona has the opportunity to help power the nation’s future — strengthening domestic supply chains, supporting energy security and building economic opportunity here at home.
The critical minerals conversation is often framed as a national issue unfolding in Washington D.C., or global markets overseas. But increasingly, its future is being shaped in places like Santa Cruz County.
