Andrada targets 2028–2029 production for Namibia lithium project
The company is stepping up drilling and resource definition at Lithium Ridge as it positions the project for a potential production decision
Andrada Mining is accelerating work at its Lithium Ridge project in Namibia, with the company targeting production in 2028-2029 following the completion of a Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS).
The London-listed critical minerals producer is shifting its focus towards an aggressive drilling programme and resource and reserve definition as it works to establish the scale and economics of the lithium project.
Speaking about the project, Andrada CEO Anthony Viljoen said the company wants to position Lithium Ridge to take advantage of an expected improvement in the lithium market.
The project covers about 3,300 hectares and hosts pegmatites containing lithium, tin and tantalum. Andrada has identified spodumene mineralisation along a six-kilometre strike, with recent drilling continuing to confirm mineralisation at depth.
The latest drilling results included intersections of 35.59 metres at 1.52% lithium oxide (Li₂O), including 24.08 metres at 2% Li₂O, as well as 30.24 metres at 1.23% Li₂O, including 9.65 metres at 1.83% Li₂O.
Andrada says the results demonstrate that the mineralised pegmatite bodies continue at depth, with areas of lithium enrichment. The company’s earlier drilling programme at Lithium Ridge was conducted in partnership with SQM, with the project identified as an important part of Andrada’s broader critical minerals strategy.
The company is now looking to build on the exploration work by further defining the resource and advancing the project towards a DFS.
“We want to make sure that by the time that peak comes, we will be in full production,” Viljoen said.
Lithium Ridge is located about 35 km from Andrada’s Uis mine, creating potential synergies between the company’s Namibian assets. Uis is currently a tin-producing operation, but Andrada also sees significant lithium potential within the mine’s broader pegmatite system.
The company has identified 180 pegmatites across only about 5% of the Uis licence area and has set a medium-term target of defining a 200-million-tonne resource across its pegmatites. Andrada has also outlined plans to incorporate lithium into the Uis processing circuit as the operation expands.
Lithium Ridge is one of three key Namibian assets that form part of Andrada’s strategy to build a diversified critical minerals portfolio. The company is also advancing the Brandberg West project, which has potential for tungsten and other polymetallic mineralisation.
