The European Union has announced a N$78 million investment linked to Andrada Mining Limited’s Uis Mine in Namibia, positioning the tin, lithium and tantalum operation as part of a broader effort to integrate Namibia into global battery mineral supply chains.
The funding announcement was made on Tuesday during the opening of the second Namibia–EU Business Forum in Windhoek by Jessika Roswall, who said the project would focus on unlocking lithium at commercially viable cost and grade levels.
According to Roswall, the investment will be implemented through a partnership involving the Geological Survey of Finland and Andrada’s Uis Mine in Namibia.
“Today, as a first step towards these goals, I am honoured to announce a new project with the Geological Survey of Finland and the Andrada Uis Mine – worth 78 million Namibian dollars [EUR 4 million],” Roswall said.
She described lithium processing as one of the “most strategic bottlenecks in the global battery supply chain,” saying the investment forms part of efforts to move Namibia beyond simply exporting raw materials.
“This investment targets one of the most strategic bottlenecks in the global battery supply chain: unlocking lithium at commercially viable cost and grade,” Roswall said. “By bringing Finnish geological excellence to Namibian soil, we are not just developing a mine, we are accompanying Namibia on its path to become a central actor in global battery value chains.”
The announcement comes as Andrada continues repositioning the historic Uis Mine from a legacy tin operation into a multi-mineral critical metals project targeting tin concentrate production alongside lithium and tantalum recovery.
Located in the Erongo Region, Uis is one of Namibia’s oldest mining operations, having historically produced tin before being placed under care and maintenance decades ago. Andrada restarted operations at the mine as part of a phased redevelopment strategy to supply minerals required for the global energy transition.
The company has increasingly focused on lithium extraction from historic tin processing material and pegmatite ore bodies as demand for battery minerals accelerates globally.
The EU announcement also signals growing European interest in securing long-term access to critical raw materials outside traditional supply chains, particularly as geopolitical tensions and the global energy transition intensify competition for minerals such as lithium, graphite, cobalt and rare earth elements.
Roswall said Namibia and the European Union had now formally agreed to extend their strategic partnership on renewable hydrogen and critical raw materials until 2030.
She said the next phase of cooperation would focus on moving beyond pilot projects and feasibility studies toward industrial-scale development capable of creating jobs, skills and revenues for Namibians.
“That means moving beyond pilots and feasibility studies. And it means translating our strategic alignment into concrete economic outcomes: like factories, jobs, skills and revenues that reach Namibian communities,” Roswall said.
The investment announcement places Andrada among a growing number of Namibia-focused mining companies attracting international attention as global economies race to secure critical mineral supply chains needed for electric vehicles, renewable energy storage and green industrialisation.
