German purchases of Russian uranium surge

The figure for 2024 showed a 70% jump from the previous year

Germany dramatically increased its uranium imports from Russia in 2024, bringing in 60.8 tons, a 70% jump from the previous year, according to a new report from Der Spiegel published on Friday.

The findings are based on data from Lower Saxony’s Ministry for Environment, Energy and Climate Protection.

The uranium is being processed at the Advanced Nuclear Fuels facility in Lingen, which operates under French ownership through Framatome, a division of energy giant EDF. The plant is gearing up to manufacture specialized nuclear fuel cells for the Soviet-designed WWER reactors still running in Eastern Europe. These power plants have historically depended on Russian-made fuel cells.

The German government noted that imports of uranium from Russia are not subject to any of the EU-wide sanctions imposed on Moscow.

“There is currently no European Union import or export embargo against Russia for nuclear fuel for peaceful use,” the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection said.

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The EU has long debated sanctioning Russia’s nuclear sector as part of its efforts to sever energy ties with Moscow. Such restrictions, however, have never materialized, as they have been strongly opposed by several EU nations – namely Hungary and Slovakia – that are reliant on nuclear energy cooperation with Russia. 

Last month, the bloc’s new energy commissioner, Dan Jorgensen, admitted the EU had failed to overcome its dependency on Russian energy and urged a new plan to curtail the supply of oil, gas, and nuclear fuel from the country.

“It’s obvious to everybody that something new needs to happen because… now it’s beginning to go in the wrong direction,” Jorgensen said, promising to present “a tangible roadmap that will include efficient tools and means for us to solve the remaining part of the problem.”