Australian uranium producer Lotus Resources has secured the final regulatory approval needed to export uranium from its Kayelekera mine in Malawi, clearing the way for the operation’s first shipment since restarting production in 2025.
The company announced Monday that Namibia’s National Radiation Protection Authority had granted the necessary transport and export authorization, completing the key permitting requirements across Malawi, Zambia and Namibia.
The initial shipment will comprise approximately 145,000 pounds of uranium oxide (U3O8) in four containers, with transportation from the mine expected to begin within the next week.
The uranium will travel by road through Zambia to Namibia’s Port of Walvis Bay before being shipped to Orano CE’s uranium conversion facility in France. Lotus has already secured a shipping booking for November.
While routine inspections, shipment notifications and administrative approvals remain outstanding, the company said the principal regulatory requirements for the export corridor have been satisfied.
The development marks an important step in Lotus’ efforts to establish commercial uranium exports from Kayelekera, which resumed production in August 2025 after more than a decade of inactivity.
The mine previously produced approximately 11 million pounds of uranium oxide between 2009 and 2014 before operations were suspended amid depressed uranium prices. Lotus holds an 85% interest in the operation, with the Malawian government owning the remaining 15%.
The company is working toward steady-state production of approximately 2.4 million pounds annually, although its ramp-up has encountered operational challenges.
Earlier this month, Lotus reported that its sulfuric acid plant was operating at approximately 50% to 60% of design capacity, constraining uranium production. The company has also been working to commercialize approximately 173,000 pounds of uranium concentrate that did not meet Orano’s specifications during the initial production ramp-up.
The export milestone follows an October 8 announcement that Lotus had finalized a marketing and inventory-backed financing arrangement with commodities trader Mercuria.
The agreement provides a marketing platform for up to 3 million pounds of uranium oxide and an inventory-backed prepayment facility of up to $30 million. Lotus previously indicated that it intended to begin accessing the financing facility with its first uranium shipment.
For Lotus, establishing a reliable export route is a critical step toward converting production into commercial deliveries and improving working capital availability.
The first shipment also establishes a cross-border logistics corridor connecting Malawi’s uranium industry with international nuclear fuel markets, although sustained production growth and product quality improvements remain important to Kayelekera’s commercial performance.
By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com
Source: Lotus Resources