Niger withdraws France’s operating permit for a uranium mine

Niger has decided to revoke the exploitation permit it had granted to the French state-owned company Orano for the Imouraren uranium mine, one of the largest in the world. This mine is crucial for the production of nuclear fuel and the revocation of the permit comes amid growing tensions between Niger and France.

Orano faces uranium permit revocation

In a recent statement, Orano reported that it received official notification from the Nigerian authorities of the withdrawal of the permit, just two weeks after resuming operations in the region. This mine is of great importance due to the current favorable uranium market conditions, with rising prices.

The French company had submitted a technical proposal to the government of Niger to resume exploitation of the field and had begun preparing the facilities on June 4 to receive its team.

Importance of the uranium mine for France

The Niger government’s decision has raised concerns in Orano, which specializes in uranium mining and nuclear fuel fabrication and processing. The French company fears that this measure will have a negative impact on the economic and social development of the region. Despite this situation, the company has stated its intention to keep all channels of communication with the Nigerian authorities open, although it also reserves the right to take legal action in national or international courts.

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This mine is located about 80 km from Arlit, in northern Niger, and is one of the largest in the world, with reserves estimated at around 200,000 tons of uranium. The relationship between Niger and France has changed drastically since the coup d’état in July 2023, when a military junta seized power in Niger.

This change has particularly affected French companies operating in the country, being one of the most affected, since until now it extracted approximately 10% of its world uranium production in Niger.

Niger’s uranium is not only vital to Orano, but also to France’s energy system, where nuclear plants generate approximately 70% of the country’s electricity.

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Source: elperiodicodelaenergia

Photo: Shutterstock