S'abonner

Nuclear: Greenpeace accuses France of being “under Russian control

Greenpeace accuses the French nuclear industry of being under the sway of Russia, a dependence that calls into question France's position on sanctions against Rosatom and underlines the importance of diversifying the sources of nuclear energy supply.

Share:

Greenpeace recently published a report according to which the French nuclear industry is under the control of Russia. According to the NGO, more than 40% of France’s supply of natural uranium comes from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, countries where almost all the natural uranium is controlled by the Russian civil nuclear monopoly Rosatom. Greenpeace claimed that the rail convoys pass through the hands of Rosatom to reach the port of St. Petersburg, and then cargo ships transport the uranium to France.

France opposes sanctions against Rosatom

Greenpeace also pointed out that France had received from Russia one third of the enriched uranium needed to operate its nuclear power plants for one year. The organization said that the dependence of the French nuclear industry on Russia was immense, explaining why France opposed sanctions against Rosatom at the European level.

France has refuted the claims of Greenpeace

The French government rejected Greenpeace’s claims, stating that France was in no way dependent on Russia for the operation of its nuclear power plants and that it had been able to diversify its sources of supply. The office of the Minister of Energy Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, has stated that France does not obtain its natural uranium supplies or fuel preparation from Russia, contrary to what Greenpeace implies.

EDF strictly enforces international sanctions

For its part, EDF said it was maximizing the diversification of its geographic sources and suppliers of nuclear fuel, and that it was not dependent on any one site, company or country. EDF emphasized that it was strictly applying all international sanctions and/or restrictions related to the non-obtaining of required administrative authorizations, while respecting the contractual commitments made. EDF also claimed that it had not purchased any natural uranium from Russian mines, nor conversion services.

In conclusion, this controversy surrounding the French nuclear industry highlights once again the geopolitical and economic stakes that lie behind the use and defense of nuclear energy in France. While the debates on the energy transition and the share of nuclear power in the energy mix are raging, it is essential to continue to question the origin of our supply sources.

  • Populaires ​
MN8 Energy raises $575mn with Natixis CIB to strengthen its US solar debt
Saudi Aramco Sharply Raises Crude Prices for Asia in August
Germany extends electricity price aid to 2,200 companies
Geothermal Radar launches global platform to accelerate industrial geothermal projects
Global PV inverter shipments reach 589 GWac as Asia-Pacific dominates in 2024
Iran Relaunches Nuclear Dialogue to Negotiate with the United States, Russia Supports a No-Enrichment Deal
Tehran agrees to reopen its nuclear facilities to the IAEA, aiming to resume negotiations with Washington, while Moscow pushes for a “zero enrichment” agreement without getting involved in supervision.
TerraPower awards three major contracts for its Natrium reactor in the United States
TerraPower has selected three new American suppliers for its advanced Natrium nuclear reactor, confirming progress on the project located in Kemmerer, Wyoming, intended to replace a retiring coal-fired power plant.
EnergyX acquires 35,000 acres of US lithium from Pantera Lithium
Energy Exploration Technologies acquires Daytona Lithium, an Australian subsidiary of Pantera Lithium, for AUD40mn ($27mn), bringing its strategic lithium basin footprint in Smackover, USA to nearly 50,000 acres.
Canada: CCSN approves the ARC-100 reactor design review
The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission has identified no major barriers to licensing the ARC-100 reactor, announces ARC Clean Technology.
Lithuanian nuclear operator SE Ignalina signs agreement with Newcleo
SE Ignalina, the Lithuanian nuclear operator, has signed a memorandum of understanding with French firm Newcleo to explore the integration of small modular reactors (SMRs) using lead-cooled fast reactor (LFR) technology in Lithuania.
Egypt: Supplementary agreements signed for the El Dabaa nuclear power plant
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi oversaw the signing of new agreements for the construction of the El Dabaa nuclear power plant, thus strengthening the strategic cooperation between Egypt and Russia.
Vistra obtains approval to extend Perry nuclear plant operations
Vistra Corp receives green light to extend Perry nuclear plant operations in Ohio by 20 years, securing regional electricity supply until 2046 and ensuring operational continuity for all its nuclear reactors in the United States.
EDF injects €1.3 billion into Sizewell C, its second British EPR
EDF will hold a 12.5% stake in the Sizewell C nuclear project in the UK, a €1.3 billion investment announced during Emmanuel Macron’s official visit to London, confirming the strategic nuclear energy alignment between the two countries.
France: Cigéo nuclear waste underground storage project makes significant progress
The French Cigéo project, designed to bury the most hazardous radioactive waste deep underground, obtains a crucial technical validation before its final authorization, expected by the end of 2027.
EDF launches its nuclear Technocentre in Fessenheim, estimated investment of €450 million
EDF confirms the continuation of its industrial project in Fessenheim for recycling very low-level radioactive metals, a first in France requiring specific regulatory authorizations, following a public debate concluded last February.
NANO Nuclear signs strategic agreement with UrAmerica on Argentine uranium
NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. formalizes its collaboration with UrAmerica Ltd. to strengthen Argentina’s uranium supply, aiming to secure future nuclear fuel supply chains for the U.S. market.
SHINE and Standard Nuclear form strategic partnership on recycled fuel
American companies SHINE Technologies and Standard Nuclear partner to recycle uranium and plutonium, supplying advanced fuel to the nuclear reactor sector and enhancing the national energy security of the United States.
Floating nuclear power plants evaluated to supply Mediterranean regions
The American Bureau of Shipping and two nuclear sector companies are studying the potential deployment of floating nuclear power plants to meet the energy needs of island and coastal regions in the Mediterranean, notably via electricity and desalination.
Lithuania explores nuclear option with small modular reactors
Lithuania establishes a working group tasked with assessing the feasibility of modular nuclear reactors to meet electricity demand estimated at 74 TWh by 2050.
Framatome wins two major contracts to extend Belgian nuclear operations
Framatome has secured two significant contracts from Electrabel covering modernisation and technical support for the Tihange 3 and Doel 4 nuclear reactors, as part of their extension agreed upon between Engie and the Belgian government.
Egypt accelerates El-Dabaa national grid connection for 2026
Cairo is stepping up connection works for the planned 4,800 MW El-Dabaa nuclear plant, developed with Rosatom, to feed the grid from 2026 with output equal to about seven % of national electricity.
EDF postpones restart of Flamanville EPR to August 13
EDF extends Flamanville EPR's shutdown to August 13 to conduct technical checks on three valves of the reactor's primary circuit, initially scheduled to resume production this week.
United States selects Westinghouse and Radiant to test their nuclear microreactors
The US Department of Energy has selected Westinghouse and Radiant Nuclear to conduct the first nuclear microreactor tests at the DOME experimental centre located in Idaho, with operational start expected in spring 2026.
GE Vernova and Fortum launch major nuclear project in Scandinavia
GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy and Fortum announce partnership aimed at preparing for the potential deployment of small modular reactors in Finland and Sweden, with commissioning scheduled for the 2030s.
Energy Fuels extracts 638,700 pounds of uranium at Pinyon Plain mine
Energy Fuels Inc. announced record production of 638,700 pounds of uranium during the second quarter of 2025 at its Pinyon Plain mine in Arizona, significantly surpassing initial site performance forecasts.

LEGAL

FOSSILS

POLICY

RENEWABLE

PLUS

© XMARKET PUBLISHING