DR Congo Secretly Exporting Uranium to China
Researchers estimate 2,000 to 5,000 metric tons of natural uranium rode along in cobalt-hydroxide exports, raising oversight and radiation concerns.
8 Articles
8 Articles
DR Congo secretly exporting uranium to China
A mineral-rich region in DR Congo that was a major source of the uranium that helped produce US nuclear weapons during World War II has quietly been a source of uranium exports to China over the past two decades, a new investigation alleges.DR Congo has the world’s largest cobalt reserves, with about 95% of the mineral’s ores exported to China. “Significant quantities” of uranium have also been exported to China alongside the cobalt as a by-prod…
In the DRC, undeclared uranium in cobalt exports could fuel up to 1,500 nuclear weapons
A weakness in nuclear oversight may be hidden in a supply chain better known for powering electric vehicle batteries. According to researchers, cobalt exports from the Democratic Republic of the Congo may have also carried uranium out of the country for years — and only a small share appears to have been officially reported. What's happening? Using mine and trade data, researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Princeton University…
In an investigation published on 30 July by the Dutch organisation Lighthouse Reports, a team of journalists and scientists revealed the import of strategic quantities of uranium by Beijing. Between 2000 and 2024, up to 5,000 tonnes reportedly left the DRC in cobalt hydroxide shipments.
U.S. researchers have recently discovered that the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRCongo) has been exporting massive quantities of uranium to China for more than two decades. Extracted from Shinkolobwe mine, located in the south-east of the Katanga region, these quantities have been under international radar for all this time because they were attached to cobalt volumes, after processing to allow their export abroad. According to the study by Ry…
According to American researchers, Congo - probably unintentionally - sent significant amounts of uranium to China along with the cobalt it mined.
The Congo is the largest cobalt producer. The ore contains uranium, which is exported with. The quantities could be considerable, what happens with it is unclear.
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