Rukaragata mine
Ever wondered what lies beneath our Rwandan soil? Rich critical minerals lie there – now coveted for their power to drive the world toward a cleaner, more sustainable future. This endowment of critical minerals is placing Rwanda at the heart of the global energy and technology transition.
According to the Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board (RMB), from smartphones to solar panels and electric vehicles, Rwanda’s minerals are more than just raw materials – they are essential to the green economy and the digital era.
Rwanda’s geological setting is along the Kibaran Belt—a major geological formation in Central and Eastern Africa known for its rich deposits of critical and strategic minerals. The belt is part of an ancient mountain-building region (orogenic belt) that formed around 1.0 to 1.4 billion years ago during the Mesoproterozoic Era. It stretches across countries like Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania, and Zambia. It is known especially for the 3Ts (Tin, Tungsten, and Tantalum), lithium, beryllium, rare earth elements (such as zircon, monazite, and xenotime), and precious minerals, including gold and gemstones.
A handful of columbite–tantalite ore
Rwanda is the world’s third-largest producer of tantalum, supplying over 22% of global production. It is also Africa’s largest producer of tungsten (ranking fourth globally) and a leading 3Ts mining province in the Great Lakes Region.
Rwanda is rapidly moving beyond extraction to become a regional hub for mineral processing and industrialization. A standout example is the Rukaragata Mine, operated by Power Resources International (PRI). It is Central and East Africa’s only fully industrialized tantalum mine, exemplifying Rwanda’s drive toward modern, efficient, and responsible mining. PRI also owns the Power X Refinery in the Bugesera District – Africa’s only vertically integrated facility for refining tantalum and niobium. This highlights Rwanda as a growing powerhouse for mineral value addition, aligned with global industry standards.
A coltan mine in Rwamagana district
Rwanda’s critical minerals portfolio is central to everyday technologies and clean energy solutions.
Ethical and responsible mining sits at the heart of the entire mineral value chain in Rwanda. The country remains committed to upholding the highest standards of ethical sourcing and traceability in the mining sector, complying with globally recognized frameworks such as the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas, the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI), and the ICGLR Regional Certification Mechanism. This ensures Rwanda’s minerals are mined and traded in ways that are socially responsible, environmentally conscious, and fully transparent.
As the world accelerates toward green energy and the digital revolution, Rwanda is not just part of the global energy transition – it is helping to power it. [Source : RMB]. (End)