Topline
When a coup left Niger's democratically elected president detained and rebellious soldiers in charge of the West African nation last week, it also sparked concern about how the supply of uranium to European countries, used to fuel nuclear reactors, might be at risk —those fears materialized Monday when the junta reportedly said it was suspending exports if the heavy metal to France, but some European agencies are squashing those concerns and noting there’s enough uranium inventories to last a few years regardless of what happens in Niger.
Niger supplied the European Union with more than a quarter of its uranium supply in 2022.
Key Facts
While Niger only accounts for a small percentage of global production of uranium—about 5% according to the World Nuclear Association—it is a major supplier of uranium for France, which receives some 15% of its uranium supply from the Western African nation, according to Politico and the EU which gets more than 20% of its uranium from Niger, according to the Euratom Supply Agency.
The junta purportedly said it was suspending exports of uranium to France—Niger’s once longtime colonial ruler—immediately, the Financial Times reported Monday.
Euratom, the EU’s nuclear agency, told Reuters Tuesday it sees no immediate risks to the EU’s nuclear power production if Niger cuts its deliveries because of the coup, and added that there are enough uranium inventories to fuel EU nuclear power reactors for three years.
French officials have rebuked concerns about the effect the Nigerien coup could have on the European nation’s uranium supply with an official from France’s energy ministry telling Politico Tuesday that France is not dependent on any particular site, company or country and that “the situation in Niger poses no risk to France’s security of supply for natural uranium.”
Orano, a French nuclear firm that operates a uranium mine in the northern part of Niger, said that it was monitoring the situation but so far the coup had not affected the delivery of uranium supplies, Al Jazeera reported.
EU officials have also tried to downplay concerns, with European Commission spokesman Adalbert Jahnz noting that EU utilities have sufficient inventories of natural uranium to mitigate short-term supply risks and “for the medium and long term there are enough deposits on the world market to cover the EU needs,” he said to AFP.
Big Number
25.38%. That’s how much of the EU’s uranium Niger supplied in 2022, according to the Euratom Supply Agency. Niger was the number two supplier of uranium in the EU, below Kazakhstan with 26.82% and ahead of Canada with 21.99%.
News Peg
On Wednesday, armed troops blockaded the presidential palace in Niamey, Niger, and just a few hours later a group of ten soldiers appeared on the country’s national television to announce their coup.They cited “poor economic and social governance” and the deteriorating security situation in the country as the reason for their coup. Nigerien president Mohamed Bazoum—who was democratically elected in 2021—took to Twitter on Thursday after being incarcerated to tell his nation that their “hard-won achievements” would be safeguarded by Nigeriens “who love democracy and freedom.” Despite those assurances, the soldiers were successful in their efforts and gained control last week.
Key Background
France is one of the main importers of Nigerien uranium using the radioactive metal to power its nuclear industry. Countries that use nuclear energy for electricity need uranium as their fuel to produce electricity. France is one of the 13 EU member states that use nuclear power plants to get their energy, accounting for nearly 25% of the electricity produced in the EU. While some countries have decreased their dependency—Germany for example decided to phase out nuclear energy and did so earlier this year—other countries like France continue to rely on nuclear energy. France has long argued that nuclear energy offers a low-carbon alternative to fossil fuels for electricity and that phrasing it out would go against green targets.
Surprising Fact
The need for uranium in many European countries could prevent the EU from adopting nuclear sanctions against Russia, Phuc-Vinh Nguyen, an energy expert at the Jacques Delors Institute in Paris, told Politico. Uranium, and nuclear power more generally, is currently not subject to EU sanctions. If the supply of uranium decreases from Niger, then EU countries could look elsewhere to find supply. Meanwhile, Russia is one of the world’s largest uranium exporters, producing some 2,500 tons in 2022, according to the World Nuclear Association.
Tangent
Concern also exists because of Russia’s Wagner Group’s role in the situation. Both the U.S. and France have supported Niger in their fight against insurgencies within the country. Meanwhile, other countries in the region, such as Mali and Burkina Faso, have turned to Russia’s Wagner Group for support in fighting militants. Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner Group, has offered to do the same in Niger after the coup.
What We Don’t Know
If the militant leaders who took over in the coup—and expressed their dismay for how the Nigerien president has run the country—took Wagner up on his offer, it’s possible that his support could affect the amount of uranium supplied to the EU.
Futher Reading
What You Need To Know About The Apparent Coup In Niger (Forbes)
Niger Coup Supporters Wave Russian Flags After Wagner Leader Offers To Help Military Junta (Forbes)
