Langer Heinrich gears for ramp-up

The Langer Heinrich Mine is now preparing for production ramp-up, following its restart after the mine had been on care and maintenance for nearly six years, its CEO Ian Purdy said.

Purdy noted the restart as a highlight, and acknowledged the government’s role in lending a supporting hand to Palandin, the owners of the mine, for the achievement.

“After a period of nearly six years of care and maintenance, returning the Langer Heinrich Mine to commercial production was an important milestone for Paladin. I would like to thank all our staff and contractors for their hard work and acknowledge the Namibian government and our local communities in the Erongo Region for their continued support,” he said.

According to him, the mine returned to commercial uranium production on 30 March, on schedule and within the capital cost estimate of US$125 million. Following the commencement of commercial production at the mine, operational focus has now shifted to production ramp-up and building a finished product inventory, ahead of shipments to customers, Purdy said in a quarterly bulletin.

Among the earmarked deliverables was debottlenecking upgrades, an increase throughput capacity and operational availability of the plant while also improving environmental and sustainability aspects of the plant and operations, include the following work streams, he noted.

“We remain focused on the ramp-up of production and delivering our first shipment to our international customers. With a strong uranium price outlook, a world-class long-life asset and a strong balance sheet, Paladin remains well-positioned to generate strong returns for our stakeholders."

According to Purdy, the remaining restart project activities are now focused on closing out completion tasks and contractor demobilisation. “Paladin will provide guidance on key financial year 2025 operational parameters in July,” he said.