The Mkuju River uranium mining project in southeastern Tanzania is entering its most critical and dynamic implementation phase. Mantra Tanzania Ltd. (Uranium One Group / Rosatom State Corporation) has announced the start of comprehensive work to prepare for the construction of the main industrial complex. Large scale infrastructure activity is being deployed at the project: construction site preparation, road construction, installation of auxiliary facilities.
The decision to start construction is backed by a solid evidence base. The pilot process plant, commissioned in July 2025, has operated normally and provided the company’s engineering team with a detailed picture of real production conditions. Data analysis made it possible to identify technological bottlenecks and develop specific optimization solutions, which have already been integrated into the main plant design. Thus, the industrial complex will be built based on verified practical experience – significantly reducing risks and increasing future production efficiency.
Jerome Mashamba, HR Manager.
In the long term, the pilot plant will retain its importance: it will become a tool for adapting process solutions as the deposit’s geological parameters change during industrial development.
Workforce Sovereignty
In April 2025, Mantra Tanzania completed its first cycle of professional personnel training. Local residents who received technical training have joined the company’s workforce. This step fits into a broader strategy: the company intends to systematically train personnel, using the pilot plant as a training base among other resources. The goal is to build a qualified production team with the highest possible share of specialists from the Namtumbo region.
Strategic Horizon
The Mkuju River project occupies a special place in Tanzania’s socio economic development priorities. There is simply no comparable scale in the southeastern part of the country. Total investment volume about USD 1 billion. Projected macroeconomic impact – over 1% of Tanzania’s GDP. The project creates a platform for the country to enter the global nuclear energy market and strengthens its business reputation among international investors.
Mantra Tanzania’s many years of work in the Namtumbo region have already yielded tangible results: dozens of social initiatives in education, healthcare, and infrastructure have been implemented. With the start of industrial mining, this contribution will multiply – and with it, the lives of thousands of people in the southeast of the country will change.
Mantra Tanzania’s Uranium Mining Project Will Become a Driver of Development for the Southeastern Region
More than USD 1 billion in investments promise a significant contribution to Tanzania’s GDP and the transformation of the region’s economy
The Mkuju River project, being developed by Mantra Tanzania Ltd., is acquiring strategic priority status for the national economy of Tanzania. It is one of the few enterprises of such scale capable of fundamentally changing the socio economic landscape of the southeastern part of the country.
According to current estimates, the project’s macroeconomic contribution over the long term will exceed 1% of Tanzania’s GDP. Total investment will reach approximately USD 1 billion.
In addition to direct economic effects, the project generates multiple secondary benefits for the region: development of road infrastructure, job creation, training of highly skilled personnel, and demand for local goods and services to support the project.
The Mkuju River uranium mining project.
Mantra Tanzania has demonstrated a serious commitment to local community development, implementing programs in education, healthcare, and infrastructure. The successful completion of the first personnel training program in April confirms the company’s readiness to scale up its operations.
“The Mkuju River project enhances Tanzania’s business reputation and positions the country as a reliable partner on the global nuclear fuel market,” noted an energy expert. “This opens new horizons for the development of related industries and attracting additional investment to the region.”
With the transition to the construction phase of the main industrial complex, beginning this year, the project is entering a decisive stage that will determine its role in Tanzania’s long term development and the strengthening of its position among Africa’s leading mining hubs.