Posted on :Tuesday , 5th August 2025

Rosatom subsidiary Mantra Tanzania Ltd has commissioned a pilot uranium processing plant at the Mkuju River project in southern Tanzania. The facility, located at the Nyota deposit, will be used to test uranium processing technologies and provide input into the design of the main processing complex, which would have a production capacity of up to 3,000 tonnes of uranium per year. Its construction is set to begin in the first quarter of 2026, with commissioning anticipated for 2029. The formal pilot plant commissioning ceremony was attended by government leaders led by Tanzania's President, Samia Suluhu Hassan, who stated, "This is a historic achievement for our country." Tanzania is entering the global uranium market for the first time, with the capacity to supply a vital commodity required for safe and sustainable energy generation around the world.

According to Tanzania's Ministry of Minerals, the strategic initiative will revolutionize the country's mining and energy environment, creating new opportunities for foreign investment, renewable energy solutions, and high-value technology developments. It stated that the government owns a 20% share that is expected to generate USD40 million in dividends each year, which will be reinvested in national development programs, and that hundreds of direct and indirect jobs would be generated. It stated that Tanzania will join the top ten uranium-producing countries.

Rosatom's director general, Alexey Likhachev, stated that the firm, like all of its partners, was contributing to the development of Tanzania's unique geological potential. We seek to establish collaboration with the Republic on the principles of equality and mutual understanding. At the same time, throughout its actions, Rosatom is constantly guided by the principles of sustainable development, including unconditional compliance with high environmental and social standards. We will gladly assist Tanzania in taking a significant step towards integration into the global nuclear energy market. The proposed environmental protection system for the project comprises real-time ecosystem monitoring, closed-loop water delivery systems with water recycling, and biodiversity conservation programs. Mantra Tanzania Ltd owns the Mkuju River project, which is located in the Namtumbo district of the Ruvuma Region. Mantra Tanzania is a subsidiary of Rosatom's Uranium One Group, an international mining company with properties in Kazakhstan and Namibia.