Germany's uranium imports from Russia increased by 70%
Uranium imports from Russia to Germany to increase by nearly 70% by 2024.
According to RIA Novosti, the German newspaper Spiegel reported that uranium imports from Russia to Germany in 2024 increased by nearly 70% compared to the previous year, reaching 68.6 tons.
Citing data from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs, Spiegel said: “Despite the war in Ukraine, at least 68.6 tons of uranium were imported from Russia to Germany in 2024, almost 70% more than in 2023.
Uranium is supplied by two Rosatom subsidiaries. Materials intended for use in nuclear power plants are supplied to the Advanced Nuclear Fuel (ANF) fuel cell plant in Lingen, Lower Saxony. ANF is a subsidiary of Framatome, which is owned by France's EDF.
The publication notes that the company is now looking to form a joint venture with Rosatom to start producing its own fuel components in Lingen by 2030 for Russian VVER (pressurized water reactor) 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 power by 2022. The final reason for this decision was the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan. By 2022, only 3 nuclear power plants were operating. Because Germany refused to buy Russian gas, the operation of these 3 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 for Germany.
