Kayelekera’s Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (Esia) Certificate has been issued by the Malawi Environment Protection Authority (Mepa) paving the way for restart of production at the mine.
The certificate, which follows Mepa’s approval of Esia report for Kayelekera in May, comes at a time Lotus restarted Kayelekera mill this month in a testing exercise known as hot commissioning.
In a statement, the company confirmed having been notified by Mepa about the completion of the certification process which was almost ready by 14 July 2025.
“Lotus Resources Limited is pleased to announce Lotus (Africa) Limited, its 85 percent owned subsidiary and owner of the Kayelekera Uranium Project, has been notified by Mepa that following approval of the Esia Report for the Kayelekera Uranium Mine, the Esia certificate is to be issued.
“Correspondence from Mepa dated July 14 2025 confirmed the Esia certificate will be ready for collection within seven days,” reads part of the update.
In his comment, Lotus managing director Greg Bittar expressed delight for the timely completion of the certification process when it is eying production restart at Kayelekera this quarter.
Bittar said: “We thank Mepa and, more broadly, the Government of Malawi for the collaborative approach and strong ongoing support for the restart of the Kayelekera Uranium Mine.
“We will continue to work closely with Mepa and all stakeholders as Kayelekera uranium production ramps up over the following months. Our top priority remains to provide an ongoing safe and secure operation for our onsite team, the local communities and the environment.”
The Esia seeks to ensure that adequate and early information is obtained on any likely environmental impacts and on measures to mitigate those impacts and its approval in May provided a clear regulatory pathway for the restart of uranium production at Kayelekera.
In an interview, mining expert Grain Malunga, who has closely been involved on the restart of the mine, said the approval means Lotus Resources can now finalise the aspects of production.
“Any mining project has to be taken with care and consideration to make sure that all stakeholders are properly served and protected. The Esia is very important, and even Lotus has received approval for mining and processing of radio-active material,” he said.
But in an earlier interview, Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences associate professor of environmental health Save Kumwenda said while there is good regulatory framework, Mepa lacks capacity in terms of monitoring.
He said: “The challenge is that Mepa lacks capacity in terms of officers to do enforcement. We need environmental officers at d0istrict level, resources for site visits and also the capacity to have their decisions taken seriously.
“Last time it was difficult for people to get into the mine site, maybe taking even two hours. Will that change now? If there is suspected leakage, will they be allowing inspectors to get into the mine quickly this time?”
Meanwhile, Lotus has restarted the Kayelekera mill ahead of its first production this quarter following near completion of refurbishment works.
It said the plant is currently undergoing hot commissioning, a process that involves feeding the plant with mineralised waste before moving to the ore, after successful mill refurbishment was completed and restarted.
Ahead of the restart, Lotus Resources has signed several off-take agreements, including a four-year binding contract in March 2025 for the sale and purchase of 600 000 pounds (about 272 000 kilogrammes) of Kayelekera uranium with an American power utility company.
