Kenya Shut Its Soda Ash Mine. Tanzania Is Selling the Replacement
Tanzania has opened the Engaruka soda ash project to investors with a September deadline, days after Kenya suspended Tata Chemicals Magadi over royalties. The post Kenya Shut Its Soda Ash Mine. Tanzania Is Selling the Replacement appeared first on The Rio Times .
Tanzania's National Development Corporation has issued an invitation to investors to develop a soda ash plant in Engaruka, Arusha region. The project covers approximately 60,884 acres and is expected to initially produce more than 500,000 tonnes of soda ash annually through a public-private partnership. Tanzania currently spends around US$121 million annually importing soda ash, which the Engaruka project aims to reduce.
Kenya, on the other hand, has suspended Tata Chemicals Magadi's operations since 28 July 2026 due to unpaid royalties and compliance issues. The High Court has declined to lift the suspension as of 7 August 2026. Kenya's current soda ash production stands at approximately 300,000 tonnes, compared to Tanzania's proposed 500,000 tonnes, making Tanzania a major natural soda ash producer alongside the United States and Turkey.
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