Paul Hemburrow

PALADIN Energy is the world’s fourth-largest global uranium miner following the restart of Langer Heinrich in Namibia, but it’s come with challenges. “I think any project – start-up or restart – is a really difficult proposition, and in our particular circumstance, we had a number of complexities during ramp-up that were quite challenging,” Paul Hemburrow acknowledged in August. These complexities included “unexpected grade variants” from the mine’s medium-grade stockpile.

Then in March last year the mine flooded following a “one-in-50-year event”, as Hemburrow described it (he was COO at the time). Troublingly, it happened again, a week later – a development that underlines the reality and hazard of climate change. Hemburrow was appointed CEO in September after predecessor Ian Purdy ended his five-year stint at the firm. Commenting on the appointment, Paladin chair Cliff Lawrenson described Hemburrow as “the stand-out executive” – a view no doubt informed by the fact that Paladin needs short-term operational wins.

That came from the second half of last year as Langer Heinrich showed evidence that its ramp-up was in full flow. At the same time, the company strengthened the balance sheet via a A$400m capital raise and debt restructure. Longer-term, Paladin’s focus will shift to its Patterson Lake South Project in Canada, acquired through the 2024 takeover of Fission Uranium. The aim is for the project to be in production in 2031.