Lotus Resources has secured the final export authorisation for its first uranium consignment from the Kayelekera mine, clearing the way for road transport through Zambia to Namibia’s Port of Walvis Bay
Namibia’s Port of Walvis Bay is set to handle the first shipment of uranium from Malawi’s Kayelekera mine, following the approval of the final permits required to transport and export the mineral through Zambia and Namibia.
Australian-listed Lotus Resources announced on October 26 that it had secured a Transport and Export Authorisation from Namibia’s National Radiation Protection Authority, completing the key regulatory approvals needed across the three countries.
The first consignment will comprise approximately 145,000 lb of uranium ore concentrate from the Kayelekera mine in Malawi. It will be transported by road through Zambia to Walvis Bay before being shipped to French company Orano CE’s conversion facility in France.
According to Lotus Resources, the shipment is expected to leave the mine within the following week, with road haulage arrangements already in place and shipping booked for November.
“Securing the final piece of the suite of permitting approvals is a significant milestone for Lotus and the culmination of a considerable amount of work across three jurisdictions by our team and our partners,” said Lotus Resources managing director Greg Bittar.
“With the Malawian, Zambian and Namibian approvals now in hand for our first shipment, the export pathway from Kayelekera to Orano CE’s conversion facility in France is open, and we are targeting our first shipment from Walvis Bay next month,” he added.
The shipment will rely on road transport across three countries before the uranium concentrate is loaded for sea transport at Walvis Bay.
The route provides landlocked Malawi with access to an international shipping port for its uranium exports, with Namibia handling the final land-based leg before the cargo continues to France.
Lotus had previously secured the necessary transport approval in Zambia through its logistics partner, Alistair Group, while the Malawian Atomic Energy Regulatory Agency approved the transport arrangements on the Malawian side.
Although the main permits are now in place, the company said routine notifications, inspections and shipment-specific approvals still need to be completed.
The first consignment is an important step for Lotus as it works to establish regular commercial exports from Kayelekera, which resumed production in 2025 after more than a decade of inactivity.
The company holds an 85% stake in the mine, while the Government of Malawi owns the remaining 15%.
The November shipment will mark the next stage in moving Kayelekera’s uranium production into international markets, with the cross-border transport corridor linking Malawi’s mining operations to Namibia’s port infrastructure and France’s uranium processing industry.