Germany's alarming uranium dependence: support for Russia?

In 2024, Germany imported at least 68.8 tons of uranium from Russia, an increase of 70 percent compared to the previous year. This increase in uranium imports was made possible by the Russian nuclear company Rosatom and was delivered to a company in Lower Saxony. A fuel assembly factory in Lingen, Lower Saxony, is the main recipient of the uranium-containing material used in the production of fuel for Russian VVER-type reactors, such as fr.de reported.

Meanwhile, Dutch authorities approved up to five shipments of radioactive material to a Russian company. Environmental organizations criticize these active uranium imports as direct support for the war in Ukraine. In addition, environmental associations warn of security risks and potential acts of sabotage caused by cooperation with Rosatom. Despite the EU sanctions, Russian uranium and Rosatom are affected by them, further complicating the situation.

Dependence on uranium from Russia and Kazakhstan

The dependence of European nuclear power plants on uranium imports from Russia and Kazakhstan is enormous. Around 40 percent of the uranium imported by the EU comes from these countries. In Eastern Europe, 18 nuclear power plants are 100 percent dependent on supplies from Russia. The war in Ukraine has exposed Russia's dependence on Russian energy resources, particularly natural gas, oil and hard coal scinexx.de noted.

In addition, in 2020 the EU purchased around 20 percent of its uranium from Russia and another 20 percent from Kazakhstan. 18 nuclear power plants in the EU use only Russian nuclear fuel because their reactors can only function with Russian fuel rods. While Europe's dependence on fossil fuels looks for alternatives, security of supply for nuclear energy remains a controversial issue.