First blast at Kayelekera uranium mine in Malawi
Lotus Resources fired the first mining blast at the open pit of its Kayelekera uranium mine in Malawi, following the commencement of uranium production in August 2025. This key milestone marks mining commencement at Kayelekera, enabling Lotus’ planned transition from processing previously mined ore stockpiles to include new run-of-mine (ROM) ore from the Kayelekera mine.
Lotus’ ramp up to a steady-state uranium production level of 200,000 lbs of U3O8 per month at Kayelekera remains on track.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Delivery of ore from the restarted mining operations to the ROM pad to commence in coming weeks
- Mined ore will now supplement stockpiled ore in Kayelekera processing and production
- Existing stockpiles from open pit mining prior to Kayelekera’s restart continue to be used in yellowcake production and continue to outperform expected grades
- Freshly mined ore will now be combined with stockpile ore to support the ramp-up of production
- Targeting ramp up to steady-state production level of 200,000 lbs per month in Q1 2026
- Kayelekera product accreditation by uranium converters is well advanced, with samples received by all three western converters – US, Canada and France.
Lotus Managing Director Greg Bittar commented: “The commencement of drill and blast activities marks another major milestone for the Kayelekera uranium mine. The stockpiles we have been processing continue to outperform our expectations, and the transition to freshly mined ore will support the ramp-up trajectory.”
The site team’s methodical planning and disciplined approach continues to support the momentum we’ve maintained as we bring Kayelekera back into production, positioning Lotus as a global uranium producer at a very exciting time for the energy sector.”
