Namibia has granted the final key transport authorisation required for the first shipment of uranium from Malawi’s Kayelekera mine, clearing the way for approximately 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 principal permits 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 mobilised to the mine. A shipping booking has been secured for export through Walvis Bay during November.
The approval removes the last major regulatory obstacle that had delayed 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, while the NRPA had already authorised temporary warehouse storage at 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 moves through the export corridor.
The development places Namibia’s transport infrastructure at the centre of the export route for uranium produced in neighbouring Malawi, demonstrating Walvis Bay’s role in handling specialised mineral cargo from landlocked countries.
The uranium will travel overland from Kayelekera through Zambia and into Namibia before being shipped to France, where Orano CE will receive the material for conversion.
Lotus previously confirmed that the Zambian transport licence had been secured through its logistics partner, Alistair Group, while the Malawian Atomic Energy Regulatory Agency had approved the transport arrangements on the Malawian side.
Although Alistair Group has been identified as the company’s logistics partner in Zambia, 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 is 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.
The company announced earlier in October 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 uranium shipments begin, although the amount Lotus can draw will depend on the relevant commercial conditions and inventory available.
The company’s export preparations have progressed alongside efforts to improve production at Kayelekera, where sulphuric acid availability and interruptions to power generation have constrained operations.
Lotus reported on 8 October that the mine’s acid plant was operating at approximately 50% to 60% of its design capacity, with further optimisation and furnace repairs planned for early 2027.
The company has also been working towards connection to Malawi’s electricity grid, with commissioning expected during the first quarter of 2027.
The immediate priority, however, is the departure of the first uranium consignment and its movement through the three-country transport corridor to Walvis Bay.
The company has not announced a firm date for the shipment’s arrival in Namibia or identified when subsequent consignments will follow.
