Rössing Uranium Mine, Namibia: History and Status

Reference article · Updated 2026-11-06

Key facts

Open-pit mining of the hard-rock deposit began in 1976; nominal capacity is about 4,000 tU a year.
Output was 2,205 tU in 2024 (World Nuclear Association), about 4% of world production.
China National Uranium Corporation bought Rio Tinto's 68.6% stake; the sale was agreed in 2018 and completed in July 2019.
The board approved a life extension to 2036 in February 2023.

One of the world's longest-running open-pit uranium mines

Rössing lies in the Namib desert in Namibia's Erongo region, near the town of Arandis. Open-pit mining began in 1976, making it one of the longest-running uranium mines in operation. The ore is a low-grade hard-rock deposit hosted in granitic (alaskite) rocks. The World Nuclear Association gives probable reserves of 23,810 tU at the end of 2018, at about 0.033% U, which illustrates how low the grade is compared with Canadian ore (see Canada).

With nominal capacity of about 4,000 tU a year, Rössing has been below that level for much of the past decade. Output fell from 3,083 tU in 2010 to a low of 1,057 tU in 2015, then recovered to 2,476 tU in 2023 and 2,205 tU in 2024. In the World Nuclear Association's 2024 ranking it was the ninth-largest uranium mine in the world, supplying about 4% of output.

Ownership and change of control

Rössing Uranium Limited was long controlled by Rio Tinto. In November 2018 Rio Tinto agreed to sell its entire 68.62% shareholding to China National Uranium Corporation (CNUC), a subsidiary of the state-owned China National Nuclear Corporation, for up to US$106.5 million; the transaction was completed in July 2019. The World Nuclear Association lists the other shareholders as the Iranian Foreign Investment Company (15%), the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa (10%) and the Namibian government (3%). Shareholdings and voting rights are not the same thing, and the government's formal role in a mine is also exercised through licensing and, for new strategic minerals, a state company (see below).

Ownership matters for marketing as well as governance: output from a mine owned by a state-linked buyer is typically placed under long-term arrangements, and the market impact of such arrangements is discussed in uranium production and demand.

Mining and processing

Ore is mined in a large open pit by drilling, blasting and truck haulage, crushed and leached with sulfuric acid. A sulfur-burning acid plant (1,200 t/day, about 9.5 MWe net) was commissioned around 2008 to supply acid and power. Heap leaching of low-grade ore formed part of the Phase 2 plan defined in 2008. The uranium is recovered from the leach liquor and converted to an oxide concentrate. The generic stages are described on the fuel production chain page.

Because grade is low, the mine moves a large tonnage of rock per tonne of uranium. Waste rock and tailings volumes follow from this, and the long-term management of these materials is a central environmental issue (see uranium mill tailings).

Reading Rössing's production numbers

Rössing figures appear in several units and in several forms. Some sources report tonnes of uranium (tU), others tonnes of U₃O₈; the ratio is about 0.848, so 2,205 tU corresponds to roughly 2,600 t U₃O₈. Calendar-year figures from the World Nuclear Association can differ from the operator's own reporting year, and nominal capacity (about 4,000 tU a year) says little about what a particular year delivered. The fall to 1,057 tU in 2015 and the recovery afterwards show that annual output can vary widely; the sources reviewed do not give causes for individual years.

The grade of the reserve, about 0.033% U, means that for every tonne of uranium roughly 3,000 tonnes of rock must be processed. The unit conversion and typical grade ranges are also covered on uranium resources and reserves, and the economics of low-grade open-pit mining can be explored with the illustrative mine feasibility calculator.

Pandemic suspension and the life extension to 2036

Normal mining was suspended in March 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic and later resumed. Plans for the mine's end had been repeatedly revised; after the 2019 change of control the company studied extending the life beyond 2026. The board approved the pushback of the pit (Phase 4) in February 2023, extending operating life to 2036, and the Namibian mining licence was reported to have been extended to July 2036. Phase 4 work began in December 2023 and is scheduled for completion in 2026; a 13-year contract with Beifang Mining covers 2024 to 2036. A 15 MWe photovoltaic plant to supply daytime power was under construction at the time of the World Nuclear Association's latest update.

Namibian regulatory framework

Uranium mining in Namibia is governed by the Minerals (Prospecting and Mining) Act 1992, the Atomic Energy and Radiation Protection Act 2005 and the Environmental Management Act 2007. The Atomic Energy Board and the National Radiation Protection Authority were established under this framework. Namibians must hold at least 15% of any mineral licence. In April 2011 the government said that Epangelo Mining would have exclusive control of new strategic mineral developments, including uranium; this did not apply retroactively to existing mines such as Rössing. Namibia is a party to the NPT and has a comprehensive safeguards agreement with the IAEA. For comparison with other jurisdictions see regulation of uranium mining.

Environmental and social topics

Rössing has been the subject of long-standing public discussion in Namibia and abroad about worker health, radiation exposure, water use in a desert setting, and closure obligations. This page does not attempt to adjudicate those debates and does not quote dose or incident figures, because no verified primary source for specific numbers was located during preparation. Readers looking for primary information should consult the company's sustainability reporting, the Namibian regulators and the Strategic Environmental Management Plan prepared for the Erongo region (assessments from 2007 to 2010, implemented in 2011). Background on dose and risk is on the pages about radiation dose and risk and uranium toxicity.

Rössing among Namibian operations

Namibia produced 7,333 tU in 2024 (about 12% of world output) from Husab and Rössing, plus a restarted Langer Heinrich. Husab, operated by Swakop Uranium (owned by Taurus Minerals, itself held by CGN-URC and the China-Africa Development Fund, and by Epangelo Mining), reached about 4,437 tU in 2024. Langer Heinrich, an alkaline-leach calcrete mine, restarted in March 2024 after care and maintenance from 2018. New projects are covered on new uranium mining projects in Africa.

Frequently asked questions

When did Rössing start production?

Open-pit mining began in 1976, according to the World Nuclear Association.

Who owns Rössing now?

China National Uranium Corporation holds 68.62%, after buying Rio Tinto's stake in a sale completed in July 2019. Other shareholders include the Iranian Foreign Investment Company, the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa and the Namibian government.

How much uranium does Rössing produce?

The World Nuclear Association reports 2,205 tU in 2024 and 2,476 tU in 2023, against a nominal capacity of about 4,000 tU a year.

How long will the mine operate?

Following a board decision in February 2023, the operating life was extended from 2026 to 2036.

Is Rössing the largest uranium mine in Namibia?

No. Husab produced about 4,437 tU in 2024, roughly double Rössing's output.