Niger, where a military junta seized power in July 2023, was an important source of uranium for European nuclear power. Russia is expanding its military presence in Africa, and Rosatom may try to force French state-owned Orano out of Niger.
Source. Bloomberg writes about it.
Representatives of Rosatom have been in contact with the Nigerian authorities regarding the acquisition of assets belonging to Orano, a source in Moscow told Bloomberg.
According to a Western diplomat working in the African region, it could be about obtaining a permit to develop uranium deposits.
The IAEA is aware of a possible transfer of uranium assets in Niger, a diplomat close to the organisation told the agency, without specifying which companies might be involved.
In 2022, Niger accounted for 4% of global uranium production, ranking 7th in the world. But in terms of uranium supplies to the EU, it was second only to Kazakhstan, providing about a quarter of purchases by EU countries, according to the Euratom Supply Agency.
Orano has been operating in Niger since the 1970s, with controlling stakes ranging from 59% to 66.65% in three companies. They are developing the Somair uranium mine; the Cominak mine was closed in 2021 due to depletion; the Imouraren project is called the ‘mine of the future’ by the French company itself, but work on it was suspended in 2015 until market conditions improved. Uranium prices then fell after the Fukushima accident and the decision of a number of countries to phase out nuclear power. However, interest in it has recently begun to grow again, and the price of uranium has tripled since 2021.
In 2019, Orano mined 2,982 tonnes of uranium in Niger, according to its data. Niger provided about 15% of France's needs for this fuel.
After the coup last July, the junta forced the withdrawal of the French contingent from the country. Instead, the Russian military has already begun to arrive. In April, about 100 instructors arrived to train local soldiers, and they also brought an air defence system.
In addition, the Nigerian delegation participated for the first time in the Atomexpo exhibition held by Rosatom in Sochi.
Afterwards, the former commander of the presidential guard and now junta leader Abdourahmane Tchiani agreed by phone with Vladimir Putin to ‘intensify political dialogue and develop mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields’.
Background. In May, U.S. President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan bill banning the import of Russian enriched uranium.