Rössing marks 50 years as world's longest-running open-pit uranium mine

Rössing Uranium marked 50 years of operation at a ceremony at the MTC Dome in Swakopmund on 3 July 2026, bringing together government officials, municipal leaders, contractors, community representatives and former employees to commemorate five decades of mining in Namibia's Erongo region.

"An extraordinary moment"

"Tonight, we gather to celebrate an extraordinary moment — 50 years of Rössing Uranium," managing director Johan Coetzee told the gathering, according to Namib Times. Erongo Regional Council chairperson Lazarus Kanelombe said the mine had become woven into the fabric of the region: "For the people of the Erongo Region, Rössing is more than a mine. It is a neighbour."

Chinese owner commits to the long term

Rössing's majority shareholder, China National Nuclear Corporation, used the anniversary to reaffirm its backing for the operation. CNNC Namibia vice-president Yongshun Liang said the company wanted Rössing to keep operating responsibly "into the next 50 years and beyond." The mine's board approved a life-of-mine extension from 2026 to 2036 in 2023, and it is now investing in automation and a 15MWe solar plant intended to supply the majority of the mine's daytime power needs.

A pioneer of Namibia's uranium industry

Rössing began production in 1976 and became the template for the open-pit uranium mining that now anchors Namibia's position as one of the world's top three uranium producers, alongside Kazakhstan and Canada. Its longevity, and CNNC's continued investment, stand in contrast to the volatility of the uranium price cycle over the same period — from the 1980s price collapse that nearly closed the mine to the current recovery driven by nuclear energy's return to favour.

What it means going forward

With Husab, Langer Heinrich and prospective new mines such as Bannerman's Etango and Deep Yellow's Tumas all vying to add Namibian supply, Rössing's anniversary is a reminder that the country's uranium sector was built on a single mine that has now operated through multiple commodity cycles — and, on current plans, will keep doing so for another decade at least.

Sources

• Namib Times: Rössing Marks 50 Years with Pledge to Strengthen Community Ties and Secure Future, 03 Jul 2026

Photo: Rössing open-pit uranium mine near Swakopmund, Namibia. IAEA Imagebank, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.