Organisation seeks assurance British nuclear will not rely on Russian uranium

An organisation representing UK councils, Nuclear Free Local Authorities (NFLA), has written for reassurance that Russian uranium will not be used to power British nuclear reactors.

The group reached out to the Chief Executive of nuclear plant operator EDF energy, Simone Rossi, and the Minister for Climate Change, Greg Hands, for clarification.

This comes after NFLA Chair, Cllr David Blackburn, noticed mentions of a long-term contract for natural and enriched uranium with Russian-owned supplier Tenex in an EDF Energy report.

In the annual financial report from EDF’s French parent company, one section looks at the company’s strategy for enriching natural uranium into uranium 235

It says: ‘EDF meets its enrichment needs through global enrichers Orano (France), Urenco (UK, Germany, Netherlands, United States) and Tenex (Russia), primarily through fixed-price contracts.’

Later the report investigates the impact of the Ukrainian conflict and highlights it’s contract with Tenex as a potential problem.

The report says: ‘Risk with regard to the fuel cycle (Risk 5D) and the provisions for waste and decommissioning (5B), in particular in the event of the contracts with TENEX (reprocessing of spent uranium) being called into question.’

Tenex is the export arm of the Russian Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation, founded by Vladimir Putin in 2007.

The NFLA is concerned that a Russian state trading operation is providing nuclear to the UK and has asked for reassurance this isn’t the case and the government continues to take action to ensure this.

Cllr Blackburn said: ‘From the onset of the conflict in Ukraine, the UK Government has made plain its desire to move away from Russian supplied energy resources. Many British citizens and EDF Energy customers will I am sure wish to join me in seeking reassurance from the nuclear plant operator and the government that Britain is no longer dependent for any part of its energy needs on Russian supplied uranium.’

In related news, the government has announced a £120m fund for new nuclear projects to encourage new technologies into the market and boost the UK’s energy supply.

Photo by Dan Meyers