Greenpeace condemns France’s nuclear dependence on Russia

The nuclear trade in question. An AFP reporter was able to see a cargo ship being unloaded at the northern port of Dunkirk on Monday morning. It was multi-cylinder Duranium From Russia. In a statement, Green peace Condemns delivery of these “important” cargoes to France.

By November, the NGO was already there revealed the same type of transaction At North Port. According to him, the trade recognizes France’s “bias” towards the Russian nuclear industry. The sector has not yet been targeted by international sanctions pronounced after the invasion of Ukraine.

In April 2022, another NGO, Robin des Bois, actually published the authorization of the European Union to award or continue contracts for “operation, maintenance, decommissioning and radioactive waste management, fuel supply and fuel reprocessing (…)”. . A rule listed Official Journal of the European Union of April 8, 2022.

Seventh supply of uranium to France

“This is a new example of the French nuclear industry continuing to trade uranium with Rosatom,” Pauline Boyer, a nuclear campaigner and energy transitioner at the Russian public nuclear agency, told AFP. “The continuation of this nuclear trade with Russia during the war is scandalous,” Pauline Boyer told AFP. If the government wants to be consistent with support for the Ukrainian people, it should break all contracts with Rosatom. »

According to Greenpeace, it was the 7th delivery of uranium from Russia to France since the invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022. In particular, the NGO noted that “France has obtained one-third of the required enriched uranium from Russia.” for the operation of French nuclear power plants per year”, he says, tripling by 2022.

The energy in question is independence

Contacted by 20 minutes, the Ministry of Environmental Change denies this bias to Russia. “France uses Russia’s natural uranium enrichment services and recycled uranium conversion and re-enrichment services very moderately to improve cycle efficiency. But our country can do without it,” the press service explains.

According to the government, “sanctions on the nuclear sector will have a moderate impact on Russia, for example, much weaker than sanctions on gas, which is not expected at this time”. To justify the continuation of this trade, the Ministry assures that “the completion of the last remaining contracts on fuel reprocessing will create a more favorable compensation for Russia than the minimum continuation”.

This Monday morning, according to Greenpeace, 25 cylindrical containers of Russian enriched uranium for the French group Orano (formerly Areva) were unloaded. “This delivery comes at a time The Nuclear Acceleration Act will be passed In the National Assembly, the industry’s supporters label it as the key to our energy sovereignty, the NGO continues. However, in no case does revival energy guarantee independence. »

GD with AFP