小松制作所投资8000万美元将亚利桑那矿山设备维修中心规模扩大三倍，瞄准AI驱动的铜矿热潮

TOKYO -- Komatsu will triple the size of one of its mining equipment maintenance hubs in the U.S., seeking to capitalize on the copper rush driven by the artificial intelligence data center race among American tech giants.
The Japanese machinery maker will invest $80 million in a service center for large mining equipment in the southwestern state of Arizona, expanding its footprint and bolstering maintenance capacity, while also building a new warehouse for replacement parts.
The expansion will let the site service a wider range of mining equipment, including electric haul trucks. Operations are scheduled to begin this fall.
Komatsu has relied on a facility in the southern state of Tennessee as its primary parts supply hub for the American market. But major U.S. copper mines are concentrated in the West, including Arizona and the nearby states of Nevada and Utah.
Supplying replacement parts from Arizona will help Komatsu reduce customer downtime and enhance its brand competitiveness. The company also sees the move helping it expand market share in the U.S.
Komatsu also plans to triple the site's workforce to roughly 300. It will add 100 parts repair workers to shorten turnaround times and another 120 to work in the new parts warehouse.
Copper demand is soaring amid the growth in power infrastructure and other projects related to data centers. Global demand is projected to reach 31.34 million metric tons in 2030, up nearly 20% from 2024, the International Energy Agency reports. By 2040, demand is expected to hit 34.13 million tons.
U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has imposed an additional 50% tariff on copper product imports, and Washington last year designated copper as a critical mineral to promote domestic production from a national security perspective.
Copper mine development in the U.S. is booming, aided by demand and policy factors. Amazon has signed a direct procurement agreement with an Arizona copper mine. Competition among tech companies for copper is intensifying, pushing the U.S. toward what some describe as a copper rush.
North America accounts for about 30% of Komatsu's sales. In addition to mining equipment carrying a higher price tag than general construction machinery, mining companies tend to invest in fleets ranging from several dozen to around 100 machines to support extraction projects.
Additionally, considering mining equipment operates around the clock, after-sales services like parts supply and repairs are critical. Komatsu is strengthening its maintenance network to capture growing demand in the region.
The company also is addressing labor shortages among equipment operators. It has introduced autonomous ultra-large haul trucks in the North American market and is enhancing digital offerings such as mine management systems to increase market share.
Among other mining equipment manufacturers, Hitachi Construction Machinery has invested in a Canadian AI company and is expanding services that use AI to analyze equipment operating data.