Niger: One of the main suppliers of uranium in the world

The military coup that occurred on July 26 in Niger, one of the main suppliers of uranium in the world, has brought to the forefront the importance of this country for global uranium supply.

Uranium, a toxic radioactive metal, is used in various fields, from cancer treatment to the navy, from the arms industry to nuclear power facilities.

According to data from the World Nuclear Association (WNA), Niger, which possesses the highest-grade uranium ore in Africa, produced 2.02 metric tons of uranium last year. Niger ranks 7th among the world’s largest uranium suppliers.

Kazakhstan, which alone provides 43% of the global uranium supply, is considered the world’s largest uranium supplier, producing 21,227 metric tons of uranium last year.

Kazakhstan is followed by Canada with 7,351 metric tons and Namibia with 5,613 metric tons.

Niger, which supplies 5% of the global uranium supply, has 311,110 metric tons of uranium reserves.

-France has been sourcing uranium from Niger since the 1970s

France, which needs an average of 7,800 metric tons of natural uranium annually to operate 56 reactors in 18 nuclear power plants, has been sourcing uranium from its former colony, Niger, for nearly 50 years.

The French state-owned nuclear energy company, Orano, formerly known as “Areva,” operates, in partnership with the Nigerien government, an open-pit mining site near the city of Arlit in the Sahara Desert.

-Niger is France’s third supplier.

According to the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), Niger is France’s third uranium supplier for the period 2005-2020, providing 19% of the supply after Kazakhstan and Australia.

It is estimated that France, which is not dependent on Niger for its uranium supply, already has enriched uranium stocks to meet its needs for three years.

On the other hand, the European Union (EU) covers 25% of its uranium needs thanks to Niger. Niger is recognized as the EU’s second uranium supplier after Kazakhstan.

In a statement to the French press, Orano denied reports that uranium shipments from Niger to France had been interrupted after the July 26 coup and announced that work continued at the field.

-200,000 tons of new reserves

Orano has also reached an agreement with the Nigerien state to exploit the Imouraren mine, one of the world’s largest uranium deposits, located in the north of the country. Uranium extraction from this mine, estimated to have reserves of about 200,000 tons, will begin in 2028.

A closed mine left 20 million tons of radioactive waste. Orano became known for the radioactive waste left at the site of the underground Akokan mine near the city of Arlit.

It has been established that 20 million tons of radioactive waste were left at the mine site, which extracted a total of 75,000 tons of uranium and was closed in 2021 when the reserves were depleted.

The Independent Commission for Research and Information on Radioactivity (CRIIRAD), a French non-governmental organization, stated that the radioactive waste at the mine site should have been covered with clay, which the French company did not do. According to CRIIRAD, 20 million tons of radioactive waste directly threaten the health of 100,000 people in the region.

Diallo Damba