Lotus Resources Wins Final Permit for First Kayelekera Uranium Export Shipment

Lotus Resources said Monday it secured the final regulatory approval to export uranium from its Kayelekera mine in Malawi, clearing the way for the operation's first shipment since production restarted in 2025. Namibia's National Radiation Protection Authority granted the transport and export authorization, completing permitting requirements across Malawi, Zambia and Namibia. The initial shipment will total about 145,000 pounds of uranium oxide (U3O8) in four containers, moving by road through Zambia to Namibia's Port of Walvis Bay and then to Orano CE's conversion facility in France. Lotus has booked shipping for November. Lotus holds an 85% interest in Kayelekera, with Malawi's government owning 15%. The mine produced roughly 11 million pounds of U3O8 between 2009 and 2014 before operations were suspended amid weak prices. Lotus targets steady-state output of about 2.4 million pounds annually, though its sulfuric acid plant is running at 50% to 60% of design capacity, constraining production.