Lotus clears final permit hurdle for Kayelekera uranium export

Final Namibian Approval Opens Export Route

Lotus Resources Limited (ASX:LOT) has cleared the last major regulatory hurdle standing between its Kayelekera uranium project and its first export, with the initial shipment now expected to leave the Malawi site within the next week.

The company said it had secured transport and export authorisation from Namibia's National Radiation Protection Authority. That approval completes the principal permit package spanning Malawi, Zambia and Namibia, allowing uranium ore concentrate to travel by road to Walvis Bay before being shipped to Orano CE's conversion facility in France.

The milestone closes the gap identified in the Namibian approval bottleneck, when the Namibian transport approval was the remaining major authorisation for the route. Lotus said approvals had already been obtained from the Malawian Atomic Energy Regulatory Agency and through its logistics partner, Alistair Group, which secured the Zambian transport licence.

145,000-Pound Shipment Targeted for November

The first consignment is planned to comprise four containers holding approximately 145,000 pounds of U3O8. Road haulage has been mobilised to Kayelekera, and Lotus said a shipping booking had been made for an ex-Walvis Bay departure during November.

The company is not yet describing the shipment as fully cleared for departure. Routine per-shipment notifications, inspections and approvals are still being executed, although Lotus said these tasks are supported by the broader approvals now in place.

For Lotus, the next test is operational rather than headline-grabbing: whether the packed containers move from site on schedule, clear the remaining shipment-level checks and reach the port without delay. The announcement does not disclose pricing, shipment revenue, costs or the timing of any cash receipt.