Elevate Uranium Achieves 79% Uranium Recovery in Namibia Pilot Plant

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On August 31, Elevate Uranium announced the initial results from the first operating campaign of its U-pgrade™ pilot plant in Namibia. During continuous processing of ore from the Marenica uranium project, the first four stages of the five-stage process cumulatively rejected approximately 88% of the feed mass, achieving a uranium recovery of 79%. The uranium grade in the ore was upgraded from 89 ppm to 590 ppm, representing an upgrade ratio of approximately 7 times. All five processing stages are currently operational and undergoing continuous optimization, but the data released this time covers only the first four stages.

U-pgrade™ employs a five-stage sequential beneficiation process. The pilot plant results show that after the first three stages complete initial material separation, the fourth stage—calcite flotation—further removes carbonate minerals. Material processed through the first four stages can be leached with acid at ambient temperature, with a leaching time of 4 to 6 hours. The aforementioned 88% mass rejection, 79% uranium recovery, and 7-fold upgrade ratio are broadly consistent with the laboratory-scale test results conducted by the company in 2013.

The fifth stage is uranium flotation, which serves as the final concentration step in the U-pgrade™ process. In historical laboratory tests, this stage further increased the grade by approximately 6 to 8 times on top of the first four stages, resulting in a final concentrate uranium grade of approximately 4,240 ppm. Elevate Uranium plans to announce the fifth-stage pilot plant results in the fourth quarter of 2026 and will continue optimizing the operation of all five stages as an integrated process.

The U-pgrade™ pilot plant was constructed and installed in 2025, with operating trials using Marenica project ore conducted in 2026. In April, the company adjusted its test plan to carry out mechanical and electrical modifications to the equipment, while also refining on-site operating procedures and spare parts configurations. The latest operational update indicates that plant availability and operating conditions have improved with increased inventories of spare parts and reagents. The pilot plant data generated will be incorporated into the scoping study for the Marenica project.

The Marenica project currently hosts a mineral resource of 52.8 million pounds U₃O₈, corresponding to approximately 134.5 million tonnes of ore at an average grade of 180 ppm U₃O₈, based on a cut-off grade of 100 ppm U₃O₈. Elevate Uranium currently holds a 90% interest in the project.