Andrada Mining has delivered its strongest half-year production performance to date, with the Uis Mine pushing past half a million tonnes of ore and lifting output across all major product streams.
In the six months to 31 August 2025, the mine processed 527,583 tonnes of ore, up 10% from the previous period, as plant stability and higher operating rates continued to improve.
Processing throughput increased to 143 tonnes per hour, compared with 132 tonnes a year earlier, while plant utilisation rose to 94% and availability held steady at 90%.
Tin output followed the same upward trend. Tin concentrate production increased 14% to 858 tonnes, translating into 511 tonnes of contained tin, an 11% rise from the 462 tonnes recorded in H1 FY2025.
The average feed grade remained consistent at 0.137% Sn, and recoveries held at 71%, underscoring the performance gains achieved from continuous optimisation of the Uis plant.
Tantalum production also improved. The operation produced 27.1 tonnes of tantalum concentrate, up from 24.3 tonnes last year, with contained tantalum increasing to 2,968 kilograms.
Tantalum grade rose to 10.95%, supported by improved recovery of 5.23%.
Although tantalum remains a smaller part of the mine’s overall output, Andrada emphasised its strategic value as a low-cost by-product that strengthens operational margins and diversifies production streams.
Beyond current output, Uis is positioning itself for a substantial scale-up.
The Ore Sorter project — designed to pre-concentrate run-of-mine ore and lift tin and tantalum output by an estimated 60% — has completed re-engineering and long-lead procurement, with fabrication set to start in early 2026.
Commissioning is targeted for late 2026, marking a key step in increasing production volumes.
Andrada is also preparing the Uis lithium circuit for the Definitive Feasibility Study phase in 2026.
The company confirmed that run-of-mine ore contains economically meaningful lithium grades, and extensive metallurgical test work has supported the development of a dedicated lithium concentrate line integrated into the existing plant.
Exploration drilling around the current Uis pit is strengthening the longer-term production pipeline.
A programme of 44 diamond drill holes and 177 RC holes has already delivered high-grade intersections, including 1.13% tin, 1.76% lithium oxide, and 281 ppm tantalum, within a 3-kilometre radius of the plant.
These results form part of a strategy to expand the Uis resource base toward 200 million tonnes, securing additional ore for future production growth.
The Jig Plant, constructed to process both Uis ore and high-grade third-party ore, was completed in August 2025 and is undergoing commissioning following material-flow adjustments.
Andrada expects the facility to provide additional processing flexibility and help unlock further increases in tin output once fully operational.
At Lithium Ridge, drilling commenced in August 2025 under the earn-in partnership with SQM Australia, with a 14,000-metre diamond programme aimed at defining a potential standalone lithium resource.
Early surface work has identified spodumene-bearing pegmatites that could support future production streams alongside Uis.
Altogether, Andrada’s production data point to a company moving beyond early-stage optimisation into a period of steady operational expansion, with the Uis Mine at the centre of a broader pipeline of growth in tin, tantalum and lithium.
