Russian nuclear company Rosatom has opened a test uranium processing plant at the Nyota site, part of the Mkuju River Project in southern Tanzania.
Rosatom on Wednesday said the development is a big step towards increasing uranium production in the country.
“This plant will give us important data to expand the project,” said Rosatom’s Director General, Alexey Likhachev, at the launch.
“Our goal is to help Tanzania become part of the global nuclear energy industry while following high environmental and social rules.”
The pilot plant was built by Mantra Tanzania Ltd, a company under Rosatom’s Uranium One.
It is developed to test new technology before building a full uranium plant that could produce up to 3,000 tonnes of uranium each year.
This small test project is just the beginning for Tanzania.
Rosatom plans to invest $1.2 billion in the larger uranium plant in Ruvuma Region.
Construction for the larger plant is expected to start in 2026 and be ready by 2029.
Why it matters
This uranium project is part of Tanzania’s plan to become one of the top 10 uranium producers in the world.
The country is estimated to hold up to 139 million tonnes of uranium ore, and the mine could run for 22 years.
The government has urged related agencies to make sure the project has a lasting impact on the local Tanzanian people.
“President Samia Suluhu Hassan has told us to make sure Tanzania gets full value from our uranium through local processing and power production,” the country’s Minister for Minerals, Anthony Mavunde.
When fully running, the project could create over 4,000 direct jobs and more than 100,000 indirect jobs, helping improve local infrastructure and living standards.
Elsewhere, Rosatom is also planning more uranium projects in many countries across Africa.
Earlier this month, Kenya officially designated a location for its first nuclear power plant, which is most likely to be built by Rosatom.