Langer Heinrich Mine has produced about 4.60 million pounds of uranium oxide (U₃O₈) in seven quarters since it restarted operations in 2024.
Each quarter has shown a gradual rise in output, culminating in the September 2025 quarter, when the mine delivered its highest production since resumption—1,066,496 pounds of U₃O₈.
In the June 2025 quarter, Langer Heinrich produced 993,843 pounds, following 745,484 pounds in the March 2025 quarter.
Since March 2024, the mine’s production has increased as operations stabilised. Output to 30 June 2024 totalled 517,597 pounds during the initial restart phase, followed by 639,679 pounds in the September 2024 quarter, 638,409 pounds in December 2024, 745,484 pounds in March 2025, 993,843 pounds in June 2025, and 1,066,496 pounds in September 2025.
The steady rise confirms a full operational recovery and stable ramp-up after six years of suspension.
Langer Heinrich is located about 80 kilometres east of Swakopmund in the Erongo Region.
It is a calcrete-hosted uranium deposit mined by open-pit methods, with ore treated through an alkaline leach and ion-exchange circuit to produce uranium oxide concentrate for export.
History and background
The uranium deposit at Langer Heinrich was discovered in 1973. Paladin Energy acquired the project in 2002 and advanced it to construction and commissioning, with first production achieved in early 2007 and the official opening on 15 March 2007.
The operation expanded in stages over the next five years, lifting nameplate capacity from an initial ~2.6–2.7 million pounds per year to above 5 million pounds per year by 2012. Before suspension, Langer Heinrich produced more than 43 million pounds of U₃O₈ in total, making it one of Namibia’s most significant uranium producers alongside Rössing and, later, Husab.
Care and maintenance, and restart
In 2018, following a prolonged decline in uranium prices, Paladin placed the mine on care and maintenance.
A restart programme was approved in 2022 to refurbish processing facilities, upgrade utilities, and re-establish the workforce.
First ore was introduced to the plant in January 2024, and commercial production and drumming resumed in March 2024.
Paladin holds 75 per cent of the operation, and CNNC Overseas Uranium Holding holds 25 per cent.
Investments
The 2022 restart plan carried an estimated capital outlay of about USD 118 million, directed at plant refurbishment, equipment replacements, reliability upgrades in the leach and ion-exchange circuits, and improvements to power and water systems.
Post-restart, further sustaining and optimisation capital has focused on pit development, materials handling, reagent management, and debottlenecking to support the ramp-up.
Earlier in the mine’s life, multi-stage expansions were completed to increase capacity; those programs added processing units and throughput, but are not detailed here by value.
Recent operations and outlook
Post-restart, production has ramped steadily. Sales in the September 2025 quarter were lower than output—about 533,000 pounds—due to shipping delays at Walvis Bay; the undelivered material remains under contract for subsequent quarters.
Paladin expects output to continue rising as pit development advances and process optimisation continues.
The mine is targeting an annualised rate of about six million pounds of U₃O₈ by 2026, subject to operating performance and market conditions, with stable power and water supply arrangements in place to support ongoing operations.
