Elevate Uranium Ltd achieved an 88% cumulative mass rejection across the first four stages of its continuous U-pgrade™ pilot plant program at the Marenica Uranium Project in Namibia.

The processing circuit upgraded ore from a head grade of 89 parts per million uranium to 590 ppm U, delivering a seven-fold grade increase and a 79% uranium recovery through Stages 1 to 4. These figures match historical bench-scale performance benchmarks established in 2013.

The operation forms part of wider development work across the asset following a resource grade doubling to 185 ppm U3O8 in February 2026. The company recently excavated new ore samples at the higher resource grade for subsequent pilot plant campaigns. Elevate Uranium also agreed in July 2026 to increase its project ownership to 90%.

A critical metallurgical breakthrough occurred in Stage 4 through calcite flotation, which removed the carbonate minerals that typically prevent acid leaching in surficial uranium deposits.

The removal of acid-consuming minerals bypasses the high-temperature alkaline leaching circuits normally required for calcrete-hosted ores, which require operating temperatures above 92 degrees Celsius and residence times of up to 36 hours.

“By removing the calcite, U-pgradeTM produces a feed that can be simply leached in acid at ambient temperature in 4 to 6 hours. That single outcome fundamentally changes the size, energy demands, operability and operating costs of a leach plant utilising the U-pgradeTM process - which is a major structural advantage we have regardless of the final concentrate grade.” — Murray Hill, Managing Director

Operating data generated from the pilot plant program is being incorporated directly into an upcoming Marenica Scoping Study. Meanwhile, results from the final Stage 5 uranium flotation circuit, which targets a final concentrate grade of approximately 5,000 ppm U3O8, are scheduled for release in the fourth quarter of 2026.

Elsewhere in the surrounding Namibian jurisdiction, Noronex Limited reported maiden reconnaissance drill results at the Etango North uranium project intersecting broad uranium mineralisation within alaskite intrusions.

Read the full announcement: Successful Upgrade Pilot Plant Results