Germany's uranium imports from Russia increased by 70%.
Uranium imports from Russia to Germany are projected to increase by nearly 70% in 2024.
According to RIA Novosti, the German newspaper Spiegel reported that uranium imports from Russia to Germany in 2024 increased by almost 70% compared to the previous year, reaching 68.6 tons.
Citing data from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs, Spiegel stated: “Despite the war in Ukraine, at least 68.6 tonnes of uranium were imported from Russia to Germany in 2024, almost 70% higher than in 2023.”
Uranium is supplied by two subsidiaries of Rosatom. The material for use in nuclear power plants is supplied to the Advanced Nuclear Fuel (ANF) fuel cell plant in Lingen, Lower Saxony. ANF is a subsidiary of Framatome, which is owned by EDF of France.
The publication notes that the company is currently seeking to establish a joint venture with Rosatom to begin producing its own fuel components at Lingen by 2030 for Russian VVER (pressurized water reactor) type reactors, which are operated in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, and Slovakia.
Currently, sanctions against Russia do not include a ban on the supply of components from the nuclear energy industry.
In Germany, in 2011, the government decided to completely abandon nuclear energy by 2022. The ultimate reason for this decision was the accident at Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant. By 2022, only three nuclear power plants were operational. Because Germany refused to buy natural gas from Russia, the operation of these three plants was extended until mid-April 2023.
In early December 2024, Bild reported that, of the 40 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity imported in 2024, 16.5 billion kilowatt-hours would come from nuclear power, a record figure for Germany.
