Adolf Kaure
Langer Heinrich Mine’s (LHM) mining activities continued to ramp up with 5.53Mt (metric tonnes) mined during the fourth quarter of 2025.
This was revealed in Paladin’s December 2025 Quarterly Presentation, released on 21 January, which outlined Paladin’s performance for the fourth quarter of 2025. The mining activities include drilling, blasting, and load-and-haul concentrated in the G and F pits.
This uplift from the previous quarter has resulted in an increase in mined ore and low-grade ore being stockpiled.
The remaining mining fleet has arrived at the Walvis Bay Port and is scheduled for delivery to LHM by the end of January 2026, with commissioning expected within the March 2026 quarter.
Due to this fourth quarter performance, LHM is expected to be back in full production by 2027. A production of 1.23Mlb (million pounds) Uranium concentrate of U₃O₈ (Uranium concentrate) was recorded at the LHM processing plant in the fourth quarter of 2025.
This is an increase of 16% compared to the previous quarter.
Uranium concentrate, commonly called “yellowcake,” is a powdered, yellow/brown material containing 60-80% uranium, produced from milled uranium ore as a crucial intermediate step in making nuclear fuel for reactors.
It’s created by crushing ore, extracting uranium with chemical processes, and precipitating it as a concentrate, which is then further refined and converted for enrichment.
Crusher throughput was 1.21Mt at an average ore feed grade of 524ppm (parts per minute) for the quarter, reflecting a higher proportion of mined ore being fed to the plant.
As a result, the LHM recorded a stronger than anticipated production of 1.23Mlb Uranium concentrate at an average recovery rate of 91% during the quarter.
Ramp-up remains on track for completion by the end of the 2026 financial year, with full mining and processing operations planned for the 2027 financial year.
Given the strong production in the first half of the 2026 financial year, coupled with the continued ramp-up of LHM to full operations by the end of the 2026 financial year, the company expects the full-year production to trend towards the upper end of the guidance range of 4.0 to 4.4Mlb.
Langer Heinrich entered care and maintenance in 2018, awaiting uranium prices to recover and enabling a restart of operations. A pre-feasibility study was conducted in June 2020, followed by a value-add study to restart production.
Paladin Energy is a globally significant independent uranium company with a portfolio of assets in the premier mining jurisdictions of Namibia, Canada and Australia.
Paladin has a 75% ownership of the Langer Heinrich Mine, a long-life uranium mine in Namibia and acquired Canadian company Fission Uranium Corp. (now known as Paladin Canada), in late 2024. Through the Langer Heinrich Mine, Paladin delivers a reliable uranium supply to major nuclear utilities around the world, positioning them as contributors to global decarbonisation.
-akaure@nepc.com.na
