Germany's uranium imports from Russia surge by 70% despite energy sanctions
Germany imported at least 68.6 tons of uranium from Russia in 2024, according to data from the Lower Saxony Ministry of Environment, Energy, and Climate Protection, as reported by Spiegel. This marks a 70% increase in imports of this resource compared to 2023.
The uranium suppliers were two subsidiaries of the Russian state corporation Rosatom. The material, slated for use in nuclear power plants, was delivered to the Advanced Nuclear Fuels (ANF) plant in Lingen, which manufactures fuel assemblies. ANF is a subsidiary of Framatome, a French manufacturer of nuclear plant equipment. Notably, Germany has phased out nuclear energy.
Despite the EU sanctions against Moscow following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, uranium imports from Russia have not been affected. The EU "does not impose an embargo on the import or export of nuclear fuel for peaceful purposes," explained the federal ministry responsible for the environment, nature conservation, nuclear safety, and consumer protection, confirming the shipments.
ANF has submitted an application to the Lower Saxony authorities to operate a new production line. The plant aims to produce fuel assemblies for Russian-type water-water reactors (VVER), used in five EU countries. The new fuel assemblies are to be manufactured under a license from the Russian company TVEL, a Rosatom subsidiary. By late November 2024, Framatome had acknowledged the necessity of importing not only uranium but also other components required for producing fuel assemblies from Russia.
A decision on the application is still pending, and federal authorities have not specified a timeline for completing the mandatory review. In 2023, German authorities had warned that such cooperation might threaten the country's security, particularly in the event of "immediate disruptive intervention" at the facility.
In light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the EU has prioritized reducing energy dependency on Russia. Consequently, Framatome's plans have sparked outrage among environmentalists and civil rights activists.