Andrada Mining’s operational roadmap for 2026 at the Uis tin-tantalum mine in Namibia centres on two linked priorities: optimising existing processing circuits and advancing preparatory work for a future lithium integration programme.
In its interim results and recent corporate presentations, the company has pointed to detailed planning work on the Uis lithium circuit set to deepen in 2026, alongside fabrication and commissioning milestones for an ore sorter project designed to improve feed quality and plant efficiency through the year.
Andrada Mining, which acquired the asset out of receivership in 2020, has over the past three years repositioned the operation with a sharper focus on operational optimisation, cost control and strategic diversification.
In its 2025 interim results, Andrada said that preparing the lithium circuit for the Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) will be a key focus of the company’s technical programme in 2026.
While Andrada has previously completed early-stage lithium testwork, company materials noted that the 2026 DFS preparation phase is intended to deepen engineering, cost estimation, and integration planning for lithium recovery, with a view to advancing the asset to a formal study and, ultimately, to the investment decision stage.
Andrada’s interim results also identified the ore sorter project as a key deliverable for 2026.
Ore sorting is increasingly used in hard-rock mines to improve the quality of mill feed by removing waste material at an early stage, reducing energy consumption and lowering overall unit operating costs.
At Uis, the sorter project is designed to improve head grade consistency and reduce downstream processing volumes, thereby improving throughput and recoveries on the core tin/tantalum circuits.
According to the interim results, fabrication of the remaining sorter circuit components was scheduled to begin in the first half of 2026, following detailed design and procurement work in late 2025.
Andrada said it expects commissioning of the ore sorter in the second half of 2026, with initial production runs and metallurgical validation to follow.
The company views this commissioning as a milestone in its operational optimisation strategy because it will directly support plant reliability and concentrate quality, thereby contributing to improved financial performance over the medium term.
In corporate presentations linked to the interim results, Andrada executives discussed the broader Uis optimisation programme, of which the ore sorter is a part.
The programme includes targeted capital projects, improved mine planning, and enhancements to the existing tin/tantalum processing plant, all intended to narrow the gap between nameplate capacity and actual throughput.
These efforts respond to production volatility in the preceding two years, which the company attributed to plant bottlenecks and ore variability challenges typical of ageing hard-rock operations.
Historical exploration and limited testwork on the licence area have identified lithium-bearing pegmatites, and Andrada has intermittently reported encouraging spodumene and other lithium mineral indicators.
The 2026 DFS preparation phase builds on this earlier work, aiming to advance from preliminary economic assessment (PEA) concepts to a robust, bankable prefeasibility and definitive feasibility programme.
This study phase will include bulk sampling, pilot testwork and a more detailed engineering scope that could form the basis of a future development decision — although no such decision has yet been made or scheduled for 2026.
Operationally, the juxtaposition of ore sorter commissioning and lithium DFS preparation reflects a company at a crossroads between optimising today’s production base and preparing for the next phase of value creation.
The tin/tantalum circuits generate the cash flow that sustains the business and funds technical work, while lithium planning positions the mine to capture value from evolving critical minerals markets, should the resource and economic case support it.
In its interim results, Andrada emphasised that both initiatives are closely linked to derisking and incremental value capture.
The ore sorter is expected to reduce processing costs and improve concentrate grades, thereby strengthening the operation’s financial platform.
A stronger operating base will support lithium circuit studies by providing the company with the financial headroom and operational data needed to design the following DFS stages with confidence.
Andrada’s 2026 planning also takes place against a broader Namibia mining context in which operators are increasingly focused on operational efficiency and diversification.
Following a period in which global supply chains and energy costs exerted pressure on mining margins, several Namibian producers have emphasised capital discipline and technological upgrades as core themes for the mid-2020s.
In that milieu, deployment of ore sorting and other pre-concentration technologies is becoming more common as producers seek to extract more value from existing assets.
From the Uis workforce perspective, the ore sorter project and lithium DFS preparations are also expected to influence employment and skills development at the mine.
Construction and commissioning of the sorter circuit will require specialist technicians and engineers working alongside existing operations staff.
In contrast, lithium DFS work will involve geologists and metallurgists in advanced testwork programmes. These activities are likely to sustain employment levels in the region and support local service providers for at least the duration of the implementation phase.
By the end of 2026, Andrada expects to have delivered a commissioned ore sorter circuit feeding into the existing processing plant, while also having advanced the technical foundation for a future lithium feasibility programme.
Success in these areas will shape how quickly the company can close the gap between current processing performance and longer-term diversification goals.
In sum, Andrada Mining’s 2026 focus at Uis consists of operational optimisation of the existing tin/tantalum plant — particularly through the commissioning of an ore sorter — and preparatory work to take the Uis lithium circuit deeper into the DFS planning phase.
These initiatives reflect a company balancing near-term execution priorities with foundational work on a potential next phase of development, underpinned by publicly stated deliverables and sequenced engineering milestones.
