Elevate Uranium Launches U-pgrade™ Pilot Plant Trial in Namibia
Elevate Uranium prepares to ship its U-pgrade™ Pilot Plant to Namibia, aiming to validate its innovative uranium beneficiation process through a large-scale trial processing 60 tonnes of ore.
- U-pgrade™ Pilot Plant completes final testing in Perth
- Shipment to Namibia scheduled for early August 2025
- Operations to begin in November, processing at least 60 tonnes of uranium ore
- Trial expected to last four to five months with detailed QAQC analysis
- Senior Metallurgist relocating to Namibia to oversee operations
Elevate Uranium Advances Commercialisation Efforts
Elevate Uranium Ltd (ASX – EL8) has announced a significant milestone in its development journey with the imminent shipment of its U-pgrade™ Demonstration/Pilot Plant to Namibia. After completing final factory testing in Perth, the plant is scheduled to be dispatched in early August 2025, with arrival expected by October and operations commencing in November.
Validating a Proprietary Beneficiation Process
The U-pgrade™ process is designed to upgrade surficial uranium ores by concentrating uranium content and rejecting waste material before leaching, potentially halving operating and capital costs compared to conventional methods. This pilot plant trial will process at least 60 tonnes of uranium ore sourced from Elevate’s Namibian projects, demonstrating the process at a continuous, scalable size.
Operational Oversight and Timeline
To ensure smooth execution, Elevate’s Senior Metallurgist, Andrew Jones, will relocate to Namibia to oversee the plant’s arrival, reassembly, and operation. The trial is expected to run for four to five months, during which detailed quality assurance and quality control (QAQC) analyses will be conducted. The results will inform subsequent technical studies and support the commercialisation pathway.
Potential Industry Impact
Bench-scale testing of the U-pgrade™ process has shown promising results, including a 50-fold increase in uranium concentration and the rejection of approximately 98% of mass before leaching. If the pilot plant trial confirms these findings at scale, it could represent a transformative step for uranium processing economics, particularly for surficial secondary uranium deposits in Namibia and Australia.
Looking Ahead
Managing Director Murray Hill highlighted the importance of this phase, noting that the data collected will be crucial for optimising development pathways and advancing technical studies. The company plans to report on milestones as the trial progresses, keeping investors and stakeholders closely informed.
Bottom Line?
The success of the U-pgrade™ Pilot Plant trial could redefine uranium processing economics and elevate Elevate Uranium’s market position.
Questions in the middle?
- Will the pilot plant replicate bench-scale beneficiation results at commercial scale?
- How will the trial outcomes influence Elevate Uranium’s project development timelines and costs?
- What are the potential challenges in scaling the U-pgrade™ process beyond the pilot phase?
