AI Boom Drives Copper Demand, High-End Foil Needs to Hit 24,000 Tons by 2026

AI and copper are becoming closely linked. High-performance AI servers need stronger power, faster data transfer, and better cooling, and copper plays a key role. Market estimates show that demand for high-end copper foil for AI servers will hit 24,000 tons in 2026, up about 260% year-on-year.

A single AI training server uses 15 to 30 kg of copper, three to six times more than a regular server. In Jiangxi's Yingtan, a copper processing plant is running 24/7 with orders booked until the end of the year. Its products, used in liquid cooling plates for AI chips, have a monthly output of over 2,000 tons, with orders up 30%. In Anhui's Chizhou, a company makes ultra-low profile copper foil with surface roughness under 2 microns, boosting signal transmission speed by 70% compared to traditional foil.

Since last December, processing fees for some high-grade copper foil have risen 30% to 50%, and prices for ultra-low profile foil are up 10% to 30% this year. Demand for high-end copper foil for AI servers is expected to reach 50,000 tons in 2027 and exceed 110,000 tons by 2030. Morgan Stanley predicts global data center copper demand will hit 1.3 million tons by 2028. This year, copper futures on the London Metal Exchange have risen over 14%, and Shanghai copper futures briefly approached 109,000 yuan per ton.