Paladin Energy Ltd says it has successfully restarted operations at its Langer Heinrich Mine (LHM) following a planned shutdown last month.
The shutdown allowed the company to complete routine maintenance and implement key improvement projects at the plant.
Among the enhancements made during this period was the expansion of on-site water storage capacity, which is expected to provide greater flexibility in managing the mine’s ongoing water balance.
“The Company is pleased to report that the LHM plant has been restarted following the planned November shutdown. During the shutdown, routine plant maintenance activities and a number of improvement works were completed,” the company said.
The company plans to provide a detailed update on the plant’s performance in its December 2024 Quarterly Activities Report, scheduled for release on 22 January 2025.
This comes as the company reported that production to date had fallen below expectations due to ore grade variability in processed stockpiles and disruptions to NamWater’s water supply.
The shutdown allowed for the installation of additional water recovery equipment, conducting water optimisation studies, and advancing debottlenecking projects that are underway to enhance plant throughput.
Paladin Energy Limited expects to produce 6 million pounds of uranium oxide (U3O8) annually at the Langer Heinrich Mine by the end of 2025.
During the company’s annual general meeting, Chief Executive Officer Ian Purdy said the mine, which resumed commercial production in March 2024, has produced 826,346 lbs of U3O8 as of 31 October 2024.
Paladin has sold 823,064 lbs of U3O8 to global customers as of 31 October 2024, with material shipped to converters in the United States, Canada, France and China.
Paladin is also advancing its exploration activities, focusing primarily on the LHM reserves and resources within ML140 while assessing adjacent areas under ML172.
The mine is located in central western Namibia, approximately 80km east of Swakopmund and 85km northeast of the Walvis Bay major deepwater harbour.
The deposit was discovered in 1973, and Paladin acquired Langer Heinrich Uranium (Pty) Ltd and its assets from Aztec Resources Ltd in August 2002.
