Kayelekera advances towards first uranium production
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Kayelekera advances towards first uranium production
Lotus Resources will start production in Malawi during 2025.
By Leon Louw founder of WhyAfrica and editor of the WhyAfrica magazine
ASX listed Lotus Resources is on track to restart operations and produce first uranium at the Kayelekera project in Malawi towards the end of this year.
Paladin Energy mined Kayelekera between 2009 and 2014 and left behind solid infrastructure, including roads, power, an open pit, tailings storage facilities and a complete uranium processing plant.
Lotus Resources plans to initially start re-processing old stockpiles left by Paladin before further developing the current open pit to a depth of about 60m.
WhyAfrica visited the Kayelekera mining site on day 23 of the 2024 WhyAfrica Road Trip through South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania and Kenya.
Lotus Resources released a Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) in August 2022 which confirmed that Kayelekera ranks as one of the lowest capital cost uranium projects globally. The government of Malawi owns 15% of Kayelekera.
In addition, ongoing exploration projects, especially in the Livingstonia area have delivered encouraging results.
Ready for a restart
Kayelekera is fully funded for the 2025 restart. According to Lotus CEO Greg Bittar the successful placement of AUD130-million, along with AUD25-million cash the company had at the end of September 2024, will ensure that Lotus is fully funded to restart operations at Kayelekera in the third quarter of 2025.
“The progress to date is clearly visible with a whole host of site activities and work streams focused on lifting the tailings storage, repairing, refurbishing and recommissioning plant and equipment along with plant structural modifications,” says Bittar.
Recruiting and refurbishing
The refurbishment and construction team now comprises over 200 people, consisting of both local and ex-pat personnel.
Lotus is currently recruiting key operations management personnel including Processing Manager, Mining Engineer and Maintenance Manager.
Areas of focus for the refurbishment team are the crusher, the leach, resin in pulp, and elution areas, the precipitation plant, drying and packaging, and the ferric plant.
Kayelekera advances towards first uranium production
