Walvis Bay to ship Malawi uranium
Namibia has granted the final key transport authorisation required for the first shipment of uranium from Malawi’s Kayelekera mine, clearing the way for about 145,000 pounds of uranium oxide concentrate to be exported through Walvis Bay in November.
Australian-listed Lotus Resources announced on Monday, 26 October, that Namibia’s National Radiation Protection Authority (NRPA) had issued the transport and export authorisation, completing the main regulatory approvals needed to move the uranium from Malawi through Zambia and Namibia.
The shipment will comprise four containers of uranium oxide concentrate, commonly known as yellowcake, destined for Orano CE’s uranium conversion facility in France.
Lotus expects the consignment to leave Kayelekera within the next week, with road transport arrangements already in place at the mine. A shipping booking has been secured for export through Walvis Bay in November.
The approval removes the last major regulatory obstacle to the first export from Kayelekera since the mine resumed uranium processing earlier this year.
Earlier this month, Lotus reported that it had secured approvals from Namibia’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism and the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy. The NRPA had also authorised temporary storage at a warehouse in Walvis Bay.
The outstanding requirement was permission from the NRPA to transport the radioactive material through Namibia.
That authorisation has now been granted, although Lotus says routine notifications, inspections and shipment-specific approvals must still be completed before the consignment can move through the export corridor.
The development places Namibia’s transport infrastructure at the centre of an export route for uranium produced in neighbouring Malawi, highlighting Walvis Bay’s role in handling specialised mineral cargo from landlocked countries.
The uranium will be transported overland from Kayelekera through Zambia and into Namibia before being shipped to France, where Orano CE will receive it for conversion.
Lotus previously confirmed that its logistics partner, Alistair Group, had secured the Zambian transport licence. Malawi’s Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority had also approved the transport arrangements on the Malawian side.
However, the latest announcement does not identify the Namibian road transport contractor or disclose the value of the freight, warehousing and port-handling contracts.
The first shipment marks an important milestone for Lotus, which has been working to restore Kayelekera to commercial uranium production and establish an export route capable of supporting future deliveries.
Earlier in October, the company announced that it had signed documentation with Mercuria Energy Trading for an inventory-backed prepayment facility of up to US$30 million and a marketing arrangement covering up to three million pounds of uranium oxide.
The financing arrangement is intended to provide working capital as shipments begin, although the amount Lotus can draw will depend on the applicable commercial conditions and the inventory available.
Export preparations have progressed alongside efforts to increase production at Kayelekera, where sulphuric acid shortages and interruptions to power generation have constrained operations.
On 8 October, Lotus reported that the mine’s acid plant was operating at about 50% to 60% of its design capacity. Further optimisation and furnace repairs were planned for early 2027.
The company is also working towards connecting the mine to Malawi’s electricity grid, with commissioning expected in the first quarter of 2027.
The immediate priority is the departure of the first uranium consignment and its movement through the three-country transport corridor to Walvis Bay.
Lotus has not announced a firm date for the shipment’s arrival in Namibia or said when subsequent consignments are expected to follow.
