Niger annuls French operating license at major uranium mine
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The Niger government has previously warned that Orano's license would be revoked if development work at the Imouraren mine did not commence by June 19.
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Supporters of Niger's ruling junta gather at the start of a protest called to fight for the country's freedom and push back against foreign interference in Niamey, Niger, August 3, 2023. (AP)
Niger has revoked the operating license of French nuclear fuel producer Orano at one of the world's largest uranium mines, the company announced on Thursday in a decision that underscores the growing tensions between France and Niger's junta.
Orano reported its exclusion from the Imouraren mine in northern Niger, which holds an estimated 200,000 tons of uranium, crucial for nuclear power and weapons.
Mining at Imouraren was scheduled to start in 2015 but was halted due to the global uranium price collapse following the 2011 Japanese nuclear disaster.
The Niger government had previously vowed to review mining concessions and warned that Orano's license would be revoked if development work did not commence by June 19.
"Orano takes note of the decision by the Niger authorities to withdraw from its subsidiary Imouraren SA its licence to work the deposit," the company confirmed in a statement.
It said that the revocation occurred despite its recent resumption of "activities" at the site, in accordance with government directives.
Orano expressed its willingness to maintain "open all channels of communication with the Niger authorities on this subject, while reserving the right to contest the decision to withdraw the mining licence in the national or international courts."
The company noted that the mine infrastructure had reopened on June 4, with dozens of people involved "to make progress with the work," adding that the Imouraren mine is expected to eventually create jobs for 800 people, including subcontractors.
Orano has operated in Niger since 1971. While a uranium mine at Arkokan closed in 2021, the company continues to run another uranium mine in the northern region of Arlit, despite facing what it calls "logistical" challenges.
According to data from the atomic organization Euratom, in 2022, Niger supplied about a quarter of the natural uranium used in European nuclear power plants.
Kazakhstan is Europe's primary supplier, followed by Niger and then Canada.
It is noteworthy that Niger's junta, which took power in July last year, has ordered French troops to withdraw from the country, as anti-French sentiment is running high in some former colonies over the French forces' failure in combatting terrorist insurgencies.
In early June, Bloomberg reported that uranium assets in Niger held by Orano may be taken over by Russia.
Russia’s state nuclear company, Rosatom, has contacted Niger’s military-led authorities about acquiring the assets in an effort to challenge the West, as per an informed anonymous source in Moscow.
Read more: France to reduce military presence in West and Central Africa
