Paladin Energy announced on July 22 its first uranium shipment since the Langer Heinrich mine in Namibia resumed activity in March after a six-year halt due to care and maintenance. The shipment of 319,229 pounds left the Walvis Bay port on July 12, Paladin Energy said.
The mine had been closed since May 2018 due to low global uranium prices, but it reopened on March 30, 2024. Between then and June 30, the mine produced 517,597 pounds of uranium; an output that Paladin wants to ramp up to meet its targets for fiscal 2025.
From July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025, Paladin aims to produce between 4 million and 4.5 million pounds of uranium, or up to 2,041 tons.
Langer Heinrich is 75% owned by Paladin and 25% by China National Nuclear Corporation. It is Namibia’s third-largest mine, after Rössing and Swakop. The latter produced 2,920 tons and 5,318 tons of uranium, respectively, in 2023.
Namibia is Africa’s top producer of uranium, with three active mines.