Uranium in cobalt-hydroxide exports from the Democratic Republic of the Congo
12 hours ago
- Uranium co-occurs with cobalt ores in the DRC Copperbelt and behaves similarly in hydrometallurgical processing, leading to uranium being concentrated and exported with crude cobalt hydroxide.
- An estimated 2,000–5,000 tonnes of natural uranium were exported embedded in cobalt-hydroxide shipments from 2000–2024, while 1,000–4,000 tonnes were discarded in unstable tailings.
- Less than 10% of this uranium has been publicly declared and placed under international nuclear safeguards, revealing a significant gap in nuclear accountancy.
- The findings highlight environmental and health risks from uranium in tailings and worker exposure, and underscore the need for targeted uranium removal, transparent reporting, and stronger regulatory oversight.