Study claims up to 5,000 metric tons of undeclared uranium unofficially reached China through DR Congo’s cobalt exports between 2000 and 2024
A new study has claimed that between 2,000 and 5,000 metric tons of undeclared uranium may have been extracted and exported from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) between 2000 and 2024 through the country’s cobalt supply chain, despite the nation not officially reporting uranium production for decades.The research, published in Nature Communications, was conducted by scientists from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Princeton University. The team said the uranium was unintentionally extracted alongside cobalt in the DRC’s Copperbelt region, where the two minerals naturally occur together.The DRC is the world’s largest producer of cobalt, a key component in lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles, renewable energy storage systems and other clean energy technologies. Researchers explained that because uranium naturally accompanies cobalt ore in the region, it can remain mixed with cobalt unless specifically removed during processing.“When companies are mining specifically for the cobalt mineral in this region, they’re also extracting relatively high quantities of uranium because the uranium is hitching a ride on the cobalt,” said Ryan Manzuk, a researcher at UW–Madison and Princeton University.“And when you’re mining cobalt ore near somewhere that used to be mined for uranium, which is the case in the DRC, you could have quite a lot of uranium associated with it,” he added.
Undeclared uranium raises oversight concerns
According to the researchers, the exported uranium was never officially declared to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which oversees the international movement of nuclear materials to ensure they are used only for peaceful purposes.Natural uranium is used as fuel for nuclear power plants after processing, but it can also eventually be used in nuclear weapons programmes if further enriched. The IAEA requires countries to report transfers of uranium and maintain trackable inventories under global non-proliferation agreements.The study noted that annual global uranium production typically ranges between 55,000 and 65,000 metric tons, making the estimated undeclared exports from the DRC significant.Much of the cobalt processed from the DRC is refined in China, which accounts for about 95% of global cobalt refining capacity. Researchers estimate that most of the associated uranium also ended up there.The study estimates the amount of uranium exported would theoretically be sufficient to fuel a light-water nuclear reactor for up to 25 years. If diverted and highly processed, the material could theoretically contribute enough uranium for hundreds of nuclear warheads, although the researchers stressed they found no evidence that the material was intentionally diverted for military use.
Researchers call for stronger monitoring
“Because this uranium is undeclared and not officially reported as being mined and extracted, it has no limitation placed on its end use,” said Sebastian Philippe, a nuclear security expert and assistant professor at UW–Madison.“It could end up in a civilian nuclear energy program or in a military program, because nobody is going to ask where this uranium is going. It’s not on the books,” he added.The researchers believe the exports were likely an unintended consequence of cobalt mining rather than a deliberate attempt to bypass international safeguards.Beyond nuclear security concerns, the study estimates that between 1,000 and 4,000 metric tons of uranium may also have been discarded in mine tailings, raising potential environmental and public health risks for miners and nearby communities.“Based on what we found, I think there needs to be an extensive national audit of mining in the DRC and new rules for separating uranium from the cobalt supply chain,” Philippe said.“There’s also a need for surveillance and monitoring mechanisms to ensure this is happening in an environmentally responsible way.”The researchers say stricter oversight of the cobalt supply chain could help ensure uranium is properly separated, declared and monitored under existing international nuclear safeguards.
