Dar es Salaam, Tanzania - As foreign concerns brace themselves for exploitation of Tanzania’s uranium deposits, local metallurgists and engineers were Thursday challenged to assure the worrisome public that the mineral can be mined and used to add to the prosperity of the country without causing damage or danger.

Addressing members of the Institute of Engineers Tanzania (IET), retired Judge Mark Bomani said when a country starts talking about uranium, the rest of the world would suggest that it must be put under the microscope over its real intentions.

“Uranium has a high potential of being dangerous. Accidents have occurred in several countries processing the mineral but largely as a result of improper management.

“The mineral is highly radioactive and its handling must be highly careful,” Bomani said, advising Tanzanian experts involved in preparations for uranium exploitation to learn from the experience of Namibia and South Africa in uranium production.

“Iran with its ongoing nuclear project has faced a lot of criticism in view of the doubts of its intended use of this energy. Some countries have even talked of pre-emptive action in order to destroy Iran’s nuclear installation,” he said.

Noting that development of uranium becomes a sensitive issue because of its potential use to produce weapons, Bomani added: “We have to be very clear of the potential dangers if the mineral is misused or not properly handled.”

According to officials in Tanzania’s Ministry of Energy and Minerals, the government does not intend to process uranium locally and in the early years of its mining concentration would be on exports of uranium oxide (yellowcake); because the industry requires very high investment and the country has other sources of energy that can be utilised.

The planned development of a uranium mine that is at an advanced stage is Mkuju River Project in the southern Tanzania district of Namtumbo in Ruvuma Region.

Operators of the project, Mantra Tanzania Limited, have reported that it was “shaping up as a truly world-class project and has the potential to position Tanzania as the third largest producer of uranium in Africa.”

The project’s definitive feasibility study, completed in May 2011, indicates that once developed, the mine will produce about 1,990 tonnes of uranium oxide a year and will immediately overtake the United States (1,560 tonnes in 2009) to become the eighth largest producer in the world.

At that level of production, Tanzania would turn out three times more uranium oxide than South Africa, the company said here Thursday, pointing out that the mine has the potential to expand production further in a second phase.

Mkuju River Project is the first major mining development in south-eastern Tanzania, a currently underdeveloped region. It is expected to create 1,200 jobs during the construction phase and 600 permanent jobs during production.

Up to 4,500 more jobs would be created through secondary industries associated with the project such as contractors, suppliers and shop operators.

The project’s capital cost, including all associated infrastructure, has been put at US$ 390 million and construction is planned to start in the third quarter of 2012 with an envisaged 21-month construction period.

Meanwhile, another uranium exploration exercise is being undertaken by Uranex NL in the central Tanzania district of Manyoni in Singida Region.

Pana 17/11/2011