KEY POINTS
- Kayelekera’s uranium processing has resumed after repairs to its acid plant and sulphur furnace.
- Uranium production is expected to follow shortly, with Lotus continuing plant optimisation and maintenance work.
- The acid plant is expected to improve supply security and reduce reagent costs, with sulphur supplies secured for the rest of 2026.
Uranium processing has resumed at Lotus Resources’ Kayelekera uranium mine in Malawi after the company completed repair work on its acid plant and restored supplies needed to support production.
The restart follows a suspension of processing in June after the mine experienced disruptions to its third-party acid supply. Operations were further affected by problems encountered during the commissioning of the mine’s acid plant.
The setback involved a partial failure of refractory bricks inside the sulphur furnace, forcing the company to temporarily halt processing while repairs were carried out.
Lotus Resources has now completed interim repairs to the furnace and replenished its acid stocks, allowing both acid production and uranium processing to restart.
The acid plant plays an important role in Kayelekera’s operations because acid is required for uranium processing. The interruption in acid availability therefore had a direct impact on the mine’s ability to maintain production.
Lotus said the completion of the interim furnace repairs, combined with renewed acid supplies, has enabled the processing plant to return to operation.
The company also confirmed that uranium production, including the preparation of uranium product for shipment, is expected to follow shortly.
Company targets steady-state production
Lotus Resources managing director Greg Bittar said the company was pleased with the resumption of processing, adding that work continued during the production pause to improve the plant’s performance.
According to Bittar, the company used the downtime to advance its processing optimisation programme and undertake important maintenance activities.
These measures are expected to help Kayelekera move towards more stable and consistent operating levels as production ramps up.
The company’s focus will now be on ensuring that the processing plant reaches steady-state production following the restart.
Beyond restoring production, Lotus expects the acid plant to provide a longer-term benefit by improving the mine’s security of supply and reducing the cost of reagents used during processing.
Bittar said the company currently has sufficient sulphur inventory at the site and visibility over supplies for the remainder of 2026.
This is expected to provide greater certainty for operations and reduce the mine’s reliance on external acid suppliers.
The company views the acid plant as a strategic component of Kayelekera’s future operations because a reliable internal acid supply could help protect the mine against future disruptions and improve cost efficiency.
The resumption of uranium processing marks an important step for Lotus Resources as it works to stabilise operations at the Malawi mine.
The company will now need to demonstrate that the repaired acid plant can operate reliably while the processing facility moves towards steady-state production.
Successful ramp-up could improve operational efficiency, strengthen supply security and support the mine’s longer-term production objectives.
