End clap for Orano in Niger. The French group had its operating permit for the Imouraren mine – one of the largest uranium deposits in the world – withdrawn by the military regime in place. The good news ? In the short term, this snub should not have much impact on France. The decision was anticipated. “Niger had already declined in importance in EDF’s purchasing portfolio in recent years,” Teva Meyer, geographer and specialist in nuclear geopolitics, recently explained to L’Express.
“Even if France lost the entire supply from Niger – it still operates a site in the Arlit region – we could easily compensate by bringing in more fuel from Uzbekistan or Canada,” explains the expert. . Finally, the temporalities in nuclear power are not those of gas or oil. Between the time uranium is extracted from a mine and the time it is used in a power plant, five years can pass. There is therefore no immediate supply disruption to be feared. Especially since France has a stock of strategic uranium, the volume of which is kept secret.
A risk of shortage in the long term
Apparently, therefore, France remains in control and the setbacks of Orano in Niger will not create many waves. Behind the scenes, however, some specialists are sounding the alarm. Because there is real concern over the coming decades. As indicated by Claire Kerboul, doctor specializing in nuclear physics and author of The Sustainable Nuclear Emergency (De Boeck Supérieur), “more and more countries will turn to nuclear energy. With concrete consequences on supply. If we take the commitments of the last COP literally and 20 countries succeed to quickly triple global power, we will hit the “ceiling” of identified recoverable resources from 2040-2050. In this hypothesis, who will take the risk of starting an EPR whose lifespan is at least sixty years?
Currently, uranium extracted from the ground only meets 75% of the world’s needs. We are therefore entering a period of tension. “Whatever happens, we will have to resume investments. We must not fail in this part,” confirms an executive in the mining sector. China is already positioning itself to grab uranium from Kazakhstan and other producing countries, which have become strategic. Notice to the future Minister of Energy: It is time for France to look beyond Niger and take a serious look at fast neutron reactors, capable of operating with our radioactive waste.