🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

China’s grip on Namibian uranium extends to new projects

• Chinese state-owned firms run Namibia’s two biggest operating uranium mines 1.
• Swakop Uranium’s Husab mine sits under majority Chinese ownership, while the Rössing mine is 68.6% controlled by China National Uranium Corporation Limited (CNUC), a Chinese state-backed uranium company 2.
• US efforts to support new uranium output in Namibia run into ownership hurdles, since Bannerman Energy’s Etango project has a pending deal for a Chinese state-owned company to buy a 42.8% stake 1.

AI-driven demand is reviving dormant mines and straining Namibia’s resources

• AI-linked power needs plus wider interest in nuclear energy have pushed uranium prices to two-year highs, which is bringing Namibia’s idle uranium assets back into play 1.
• Orano, a French nuclear company, is taking another look at Trekkopje, a mine that has sat idle for more than a decade 1.
• A new wave of projects could double Namibia’s uranium output, though limited water in the arid country may slow growth 1.
• Uranium mines in Namibia’s Erongo region may use about 53 million cubic metres of water each year, close to NamWater’s national supply of about 67 million cubic metres, which could increase reliance on desalination and other sources 3.