State Building right-of-way. According to Greenpeace, Russia controls more than 40% of imports of natural uranium from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and a third of those of enriched uranium. A situation that places the French nuclear industry “under the influence” of Moscow according to the NGO.
In 2022, 43% “of the natural uranium imported into France came from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan”, underlines Greenpeace in a report. However, according to the NGO, “virtually all the natural uranium from Kazakhstan, and a considerable part of that from Uzbekistan” is transported via rail convoys to the port of Saint Petersburg, then by freighters to France.
“These transports can only be carried out under the condition of obtaining a license issued by Rosatom”, the National Society for Atomic Energy in Russia. Routes avoiding Russian territory “do not currently represent real alternatives”, the report adds.
“The dependency is immense”
Greenpeace had already described as “scandalous” the continuation of nuclear trade with Russia, a sector which is not targeted by international sanctions, unlike hydrocarbons. The organization had in particular noted that France had received from Russia “a third of the enriched uranium necessary for the operation of French nuclear power plants for one year”, a tripling in 2022 according to it.
“Contrary to what the defenders of the atom assert, the dependence of the French nuclear sector on the Russian authorities is immense, which could explain why France continues to actively oppose the sanctions against Rosatom at the European level”, has said Greenpeace on Saturday.