Full Breakdown
Uranium Potentially Embedded in Congo Cobalt Shipments to China
8/10/2026, 8:59:36 AM
Investigation Findings
A joint probe by Lighthouse Reports, the Financial Times and Le Monde examined internal documents from the Tenke Fungurume Mining (TFM) complex, now run by China-linked CMOC Group. The inquiry uncovered uranium concentrations far above the 75 parts-per-million (ppm) export limit, including a peak of 1,100 ppm in December 2016, and evidence that uranium-rich cobalt continued to be produced at least through June 2021.
Background & Context
Katanga’s copper-cobalt belt has long hosted uranium, famously supplying the Manhattan Project from the Shinkolobwe mine. The Congolese government declared the area a prohibited mining zone in 2004, classifying uranium as a “reserved mineral substance.” Mining officials note that uranium, copper and cobalt frequently co-occur, making by-products a constant feature of regional ore.
Data & Estimates
Using geological samples, mine production data and a peer-reviewed study published on July 30 in *Nature Communications*, researchers Sébastien Philippe and Ryan Manzuk estimated that between 2,000 and 5,000 tonnes of uranium may have been exported to China within cobalt-hydroxide shipments from 2000 to 2024. Even the lower bound could fuel a one-gigawatt nuclear reactor for at least a decade.
Official Statements & Responses
Steve Muanza, head of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s nuclear energy agency, said it was “technically possible” and “probable” that Chinese firms were extracting uranium from exported cobalt, though he noted no direct evidence. CMOC categorically denied any uranium separation or extraction, asserting that all TFM cobalt hydroxide complies with Congolese regulations and international customer standards, and contesting the relevance of a 75 ppm threshold by citing alternative limits up to 100 ppm.
Verbatim Quotes
- “There are always by-products in Congolese mining exports – particularly cobalt – and these by-products are effectively monitored by the Congolese authorities. All except one: uranium,” — Tomas Statius, a Lighthouse Reports journalist and co-author of the investigation
- “It is not limited to specific locations; it is a constant feature,” — Tomas Statius, a Lighthouse Reports journalist and co-author of the investigation
- “There is an established, known method for removing uranium from cobalt exports,” — Tomas Statius, a Lighthouse Reports journalist and co-author of the investigation
- “Our investigation is based on internal documents from the mine and its owners, spanning nearly a decade, that reveal both the contamination and attempts by certain metallurgical engineers to address the issue,” — Tomas Statius, a Lighthouse Reports journalist and co-author of the investigation
