The French nuclear industry is in the crosshairs of Greenpeace. According to the NGO, it is “under the control” of Russia.
In 2022, “nearly half of the natural uranium imported into France came from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan”, 43% exactly, underlined Greenpeace in a report published on Saturday two days before the start of the examination by the Assembly of a bill aimed at accelerating the construction of new nuclear reactors. However, according to the NGO, “almost all the natural uranium from Kazakhstan, and a considerable part of that from Uzbekistan, passes through the hands of (the Russian civilian nuclear monopoly) Rosatom, which controls the transport of all nuclear materials passing through Russian soil”, via rail convoys to the port of Saint Petersburg, then cargo ships to France.
The French government refuted this argument, assuring that “our country is in no way dependent on Russia for the operation of its nuclear power plants” and “has been able to diversify its sources of supply”.