Uranium Mining in Namibia

 

Uranium minerals were first recognised in the vicinity of today’s Rössing Mine in 1928. But it was not until Rio Tinto acquired exploration rights in the 1960s, that a number of low-grade ore bodies were discovered along the north side of the rugged Khan valley. After extensive test work, the Rössing Mine was opened in 1976. Following the establishment of the Rössing Mine and a global increase in the demand for uranium for nuclear energy production during the 1960s and 1970s, several other companies started uranium exploration in the central Namib. More uranium deposits were identified, but the uranium price slowly declined and hence no other mines opened up for a long time. This changed early in the new millennium, when increasing uranium prices allowed the opening of the Langer Heinrich Mine, which started production in 2006. It was also around that time that uranium prices reached an all-time high, and extensive exploration was undertaken once again in the western Erongo Region. In 2007, development of the Trekkopje Mine commenced. Assisted by high-resolution airborne geophysical data provided by the Geological Survey of Namibia, Ministry of Mines and Energy, exploration led to the discovery of the Husab ore body, a world-class uranium deposit, now mined at the Husab Mine destined to become one of the World’s largest uranium mines. Due to the lower uranium price following the Fukushima tsunami, the Trekkopje and Langer Heinrich Mines had to be put on care and maintenance in 2013 and 2018 respectively. However, a decision for re-starting the Langer Heinrich Mine was taken in 2022, and production re-commenced in 2024. In addition, the projects of Bannerman Resources and Reptile Mineral Resources & Exploration have now reached stages, where mining licences have been granted, and mine development has started. Forsys holds a mining licence for its Valencia uranium deposit, and owns the neighbouring Namibplaas uranium resource, for which it also submitted a mining licence application. Elevate Uranium, Headspring Investments, and Zhonghe Resources are in advanced stages of exploration and recovery test work.

The uranium deposits of the central Namib belong to two main types, 77% consist of primary uranium mineralisation hosted by a light-coloured granite, so-called alaskite (Rössing, Husab), and 23% comprise secondary uranium mineralisation in calcrete (Langer Heinrich, Trekkopje).

Uranium-bearing alaskites have intruded the metamorphosed sediments of the Khan and Rössing Formations some 450 million years ago, and are therefore the product of the Pan African Damara Orogeny, in which the high temperature/low pressure southern Central Zone hosts the highest-grade metamorphism, and consequently the greatest density of granitic intrusions occurs. All of these primary deposits are similar, having formed in structurally prepared sites in granulite facies Neoproterozoic metasediments; spatially proximal to basement-cored domes and inliers, and proximal to the regional peak metamorphism. Contemporary interpretations for the formation of these large, low-grade deposits favour models of low percentage partial melt of weakly-uraniferous source material that interacted with reactive metasediments that encourage the precipitation of uranium oxides and silicates. The uranium repositories in the source rocks include common accessory minerals such as zircon, monazite, biotite, and apatite, that retain or release U, Th, lanthanides, and other incompatible elements into the silicate melt and magmatic fluids. The bulk of the uranium occurs in uraninite [UO2], coffinite [USiO4], and secondary hydrate minerals, predominantly uranophane [Ca(UO2) x 2SiO3 x 7H2O]. A relatively low proportion of U is hosted in the refractory minerals betafite [(Ca,U)2(Ti,Nb,Ta)2O x 6OH] and/or brannerite [UTi2O6].

Secondary mineralisation is the result of weathering of rocks with primary mineralisation. Secondary uranium deposits are found in calcrete which formed in palaeo-valleys of ancient rivers that flowed westwards from the Great Escarpment some 88 to 25 million years ago. The main uranium mineral in calcrete is carnotite [K2(UO2)2(VO4)2 x 3H2O]. It occurs as a thin film in cracks and as a coating on sediment grains in the calcretised fluvial channels. Both mineralisation types are amenable to open cast mining methods. In addition, Karoo sediments in the south of the country have shown potential for uranium in economic concentrations.

Throughout 2025, the uranium price continued to enforce its historically high value. The current scenario of many jurisdictions moving to the development of new nuclear infrastructure, while at the same time physical uranium is being removed from the market by trusts, a shortage of supply is a given. Many years of delayed uranium projects and lack of exploration for uranium have created a situation where accelerated uranium mine development and aggressive uranium exploration is a necessity to guarantee availability of fuel for future nuclear energy generation. As both is happening in Namibia, the Namibian uranium mining industry has positioned itself well to supply current and future markets.

With 49 years of operation, the Rössing Uranium Mine is not only the longest operating uranium mine in Namibia, but also one of the largest uranium open cast mines in the World. The All Injury Frequency Rate (AIFR) for 2025 was 0.38 against a target of 0.46 and overall, there was a 34% reduction in injuries on site when compared to 2024. Strategic investments in technology, resource planning, and operational efficiency have allowed the extension of the life-of-mine to 2036, and the Phase 4 expansion push-back of the main pit, which started in 2024, continued throughout 2025. Rössing has also started assessing other satellite bodies of uranium ore on its mining license, and is evaluating resource optimisation and innovative mining and processing techniques that could enhance extraction efficiency for a potential Life of Mine extension beyond 2036. Production in 2025 amounted to 3 185 t U3O8, which represents a 22.5 % increase compared to the 2024 output, and can be largely attributed to operational upgrades.

In 2025, Swakop Uranium’s Husab Mine achieved remarkable milestones in safety, production and sustainability projects. The company was awarded the Chamber of Mines safety award for best performing large scale mine in Namibia. A total of 114 million t excavated material was mined, 4 % favorable to budget despite increased mining depth. The milling operations exceeded 12.32 million t (a 3% increase from 2024), and the mine drummed 5 430 t U3O8 (a 4% increase from 2024), underscoring its ability to consistently meet and surpass production targets while maintaining operational efficiency and excellence. The company continues to record a favorable and strong profit position, cementing the company’s future financial sustainability. In order to continue driving efficiency, innovation, and reducing risks, some innovative technologies were introduced in 2025. Swakop Uranium commissioned additional electric-trolley line infrastructure to curb the rising costs of diesel fuel and leverage its direct coupling opportunities presented by its embedded renewable energy sources to achieve its carbon abatement objectives. Swakop Uranium successfully commissioned its bespoke AI- driven fatigue management system for continuous operations employees in mining operations. A number of safety driven technologies were implemented in 2025 with demonstrable safety and productivity benefits. Moreover, the accelerated and bolstered exploration program which started in 2024 saw an uptick in both drilling activity and investment in 2025. Exploration investment was N$132 million, a 32% increase from 2024. Extensive infill, resource, and exploration drilling to the extent of 74 000 m was drilled in 2025 to enhance resource confidence and identify new targets. Total exploration investment is expected to peak at N$ 237 million in 2026. Swakop Uranium advanced its Heap Leach Project trial and is at the final investment decision with construction slated for end 2026. This will provide flexibility to process subeconomic material and expand Husab’s range of uranium processing capability. Most notably, Swakop Uranium and NamWater concluded the establishment of a Joint Venture to build the second desalination plant in Namibia. The start of construction is planned for 1st August 2026. The project is intended to alleviate water scarcity for industrial and domestic purposes in the Erongo Region, thus bolstering mining investments and economic growth.

With 2024 marking the successful commencement of production at Langer Heinrich Uranium, the focus in 2025 shifted to steadily ramping up operations by optimising plant performance and leveraging the various improvements implemented during the Restart Project.  In April 2025, the mine commenced blasting and extraction activity, with the first new ore mined at the site for nearly a decade. Total production in 2025 was 1832 t U₃O₈, with the strongest quarterly performance achieved at year‑end, and ramp-up to full production expected by the end of the first half of 2026. Langer Heinrich Uranium continued to supply a diversified portfolio of uranium sales agreements with tier-one counterparties in the US, Europe and Asia. The company remains a significant employer in Namibia and the Erongo Region with a 98% Namibian workforce. In 2025, community investment in the Erongo Region exceeded US$ 600 000 and the company spent 88% of total procurement with Namibian suppliers.

Orano launched a Definitive Feasibility Study for its Trekkopje Mine in 2025, following the successful conclusion of the Pre-Feasibility Study in 2024. The first phase of work consisted in assessing the condition of the equipment and installations maintained under Care and Maintenance, with the support of specialized experts and equipment manufacturers. The results of this assessment were very positive and indicated that only limited efforts and expenditures would be required to restore the plant for a potential restart. The second phase aimed at improving the geological understanding of the deposit and increasing the volume of indicated resources. A major drilling campaign was launched and completed in 2025, comprising of 724 boreholes and a total of 15 200 m drilled. The updated geological resource model will be fully integrated into the feasibility study. The third phase will consist of completing the full feasibility study by the end of 2026. As part of this process, Orano plans to construct and operate a pilot plant in 2026 in order to validate the technical assumptions retained for the feasibility study and to confirm the overall economic viability of the project. Subject to the successful completion of this final phase, Orano Mining Namibia intends to seek an internal “go-to-mine” decision by the end of 2026. This decision would allow the launch of the remaining detailed engineering studies, as well as the completion of the outstanding construction works on the MAXI site, including the plant front-end and back-end components. Orano’s Erongo Desalination Plant had a milestone year in 2025, achieving 15 years of production of potable water for the Erongo Region with no Lost Time Injury (LTI), and a record year with the production of 17.59 million m3 potable water, supporting the sustainability of mining, industry and local authorities in the coastal Erongo Region.

Bannerman Mining Resources continued in 2025 with early works construction at its Etango uranium project, which had started in 2024. Bulk earthworks proceeded, with site roads mostly completed, terracing completing for the dry plant and wet plant terraces being well advanced. The Heap Leach pad, leach ponds and freshwater pond are in progress. Major concrete works on the Dry Plant commenced in September 2025, with good progress on the primary crusher building, stockpile tunnel, secondary and tertiary crushing and screening, and fine ore silo. The crushing of the heap leach drainage layer aggregate commenced in October 2025 and has proceeded since. Construction of the Etango access road was also finalised, and the High-Pressure Grinding Roll crusher, manufactured at a cost of N$ 170 million in Germany, was delivered to site. The 33 kV overhead powerlines for construction, together with temporary grid connection to the local distributor, have been completed and commissioned. On external infrastructure, a bulk power supply agreement was signed with NamPower in August 2025, and the construction of the permanent water supply pipeline commenced in October 2025. In addition, an Environmental Clearance Certificate for the proposed sulphuric acid storage at the Walvis Bay harbour was granted in June 2025 and a land lease agreement was subsequently finalized. A milestone was reached in September 2025, when Bannerman Mining Resources advanced uranium marketing activities and successfully progressed offtake discussions in support of project financing. The world class deposit is expected to deliver some 1 580 t U3O8 per annum over an initial 15-year operating life.

Following the grant in 2024 of a 20-year mining licence, (ML237, expiring 21 September 2043), Deep Yellow Namibia is progressing its flagship Tumas Project towards a Final Investment Decision (FID). Importantly, upon execution of the current development schedule, Deep Yellow will establish Tumas as the next uranium mine in Namibia. The first half of 2025 was occupied with commencement of detailed engineering, with selection of Ausenco Services Pty Ltd (Ausenco) as the engineering group to carry out this critical phase of work aiming to establish and freeze the project scope, and determine the total cost of development and the construction schedule to provide the base for the FID. FID has been deferred due to the identification of further project optimisation opportunities which were considered to have an important bearing on the Project outcome. The Board has approved continuing the staged development approach with detailed engineering and off-site infrastructure development. The March 2025 optimisation work generated robust results at a uranium price of US$ 82.50 per pound U3O8, further endorsing the Project’s economics and standing as a Tier-1, long-life uranium operation. The detailed engineering, procurement and operational planning work has progressed well, and at the end of March 2026, the 3D model progress for the plant achieved total weighted progress of >65%. Ausenco, as lead engineer, has responsibility for delivering the process plant and the Deep Yellow Owner’s Team has responsibility for establishing and delivering all non-process infrastructure. Early works to prepare for the commencement of construction are at an advanced stage. In parallel, debt financing has been mandated with Nedbank Limited, and this is progressing well. Bulk earth works have been completed, and civil engineering works will commence in the second quarter of 2026. Tendering is now complete for 79% of all major process plant equipment packages, supporting procurement readiness and capital execution planning. A key outcome of the detailed engineering and optimisation was the update to the financial model based on revised capital and operating expenses estimates and using various uranium pricing points, with a comparison made against the base case set out in the December 2023 Detailed Feasibility Re-Costing Study. This update underlined the robustness of the Tumas Project as a major greenfield uranium project. Based on the updated Mineral Resource, the Ore Reserve Estimate now includes Proven and Probable Ore Reserves of 36 053 t U3O8 in 120.1 million t of ore at a grade of 298 ppm, using a 100 ppm U3O8 cut-off, with an average waste to ore ratio of 2.2 to 1. Last, not least, exploration drilling at the Tinkas Prospect and the S-Bend Prospect, north-east of Tumas, is ongoing. Results continue to demonstrate the potential to add further value within the broader Tumas district.

During 2025, Elevate Uranium continued to advance its Namibian uranium portfolio, with the Koppies Uranium Project's resource base across the Koppies and Hirabeb deposits standing at approximately 30 000 t U₃O₈, comprising Koppies (some 25 400 t U₃O₈) and Hirabeb (some 4 600 t U₃O₈). Construction and factory testing of the U-pgrade™ Demonstration Plant were completed in Perth during the year, after which the plant was shipped to Namibia, assembled on site, and entered commissioning in the fourth quarter of 2025, with steady-state operation achieved during quarter one 2026. The programme is designed to validate the U-pgrade™ beneficiation process on a continuous operational basis and at a commercially scalable size, processing ore from the Koppies and Marenica projects. Exploration and resource expansion drilling continued at Hirabeb, Namib IV, Capri and Marenica during the year. In 2026, Elevate Uranium will pivot its drilling focus to the Marenica Uranium Project, deploying an additional four drill rigs to drive resource expansion as Marenica is positioned as a central component of the company's long-term Namibian development pathway.

Forsys Metals, through its Namibian wholly owned subsidiary, Asarian Energy (Pty) Ltd, holds a mining licence for its Asarian Energy uranium deposit, which is valid until 2033. The company also owns the neighbouring Namibplaas uranium resource, which is presently covered by an Exclusive Prospecting Licence.  Together, the Valencia and Namibplaas uranium deposits comprise the Norasa Uranium Project, which constitutes Forsys Metals flagship project for developing a large-scale uranium mine. An environmental clearance is in place for mine development and operation on the Valencia mining licence. Work is ongoing to update the 2015 Definitive Feasibility Study and to improve on project economics by enhancing uranium extraction as well as revised mineral processing, pit design and mine plan. The work programme started in 2023, and is ongoing with infill drilling for mineral resource definition, geo-metallurgical drilling and testing, geotechnical drilling and optimisation of pit parameters, evaluation of alternative metallurgical processes including heap leaching and optimisation of all linear infrastructure and utilities. A milestone was reached when the first blast for a box cut as part of the Valencia mining pit development was done on the 1st of August 2024.

In a first case of a discovery of a sandstone type mineralization potentially amenable for ISL in the south-east of Namibia, Headspring Investments discovered a new sandstone type uranium deposit with measured and indicated resources of 21 860 t U3O8, inferred resources of 27 100 t U3O8, and an exploration potential of a further 35 400 t U3O8. An ISL pilot test is in preparation, the start of which is subject to permission by the regulator. In 2025, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) proceeded to review the application for an Environmental Clearance Certificate for test mining according to a request of the Namibian ministry responsible for water. An IAEA mission is expected in 2026.