German imports of Russian uranium increase

(MENAFN) Germany significantly increased its uranium imports from Russia in 2024, bringing in 60.8 tons, a 70% rise compared to the previous year, according to a report by Der Spiegel. The uranium is being processed at the Advanced Nuclear Fuels facility in Lingen, which is owned by the French company Framatome, a division of EDF. The facility is preparing to produce specialized fuel cells for WWER reactors still operating in Eastern Europe, which have long relied on Russian-made fuel.

The German government clarified that these uranium imports are not covered by EU sanctions, as there are no embargoes on nuclear fuel for peaceful use. The EU has considered sanctions on Russia’s nuclear sector but has faced resistance from countries like Hungary and Slovakia, which depend on nuclear energy cooperation with Russia. The new EU energy commissioner, Dan Jorgensen, acknowledged that the bloc's efforts to reduce its reliance on Russian energy, including uranium, have not been successful and promised to develop a new strategy to address the issue.

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