Lower Saxony has authorized the production of fuel assemblies based on the Russian model
The Ministry of the Environment of the German state of Lower Saxony has granted a plant in Lingen a license to produce fuel assemblies based on the Russian model. They are planned to be produced at Advanced Nuclear Fuels (ANF), a subsidiary of the French company Framatome, in cooperation with the Russian state corporation Rosatom.
According to Euronews, as cited by “European Truth,” ANF applied for this permit back in 2022. The project involves hexagonal fuel assemblies, which are used exclusively in Soviet-designed nuclear power plants. Such nuclear power plants are still in operation in several Eastern European countries and in Finland.
The Lower Saxony Ministry of the Environment reported that it approved the application following “comprehensive reviews” and consultations with federal agencies. At the same time, the planned cooperation with Rosatom has drawn sharp criticism in Germany despite EU sanctions.
Germany’s Federal Ministry for the Environment stated that it views cooperation with the Russian state-owned corporation critically. The ministry noted that the appropriate response should be pan-European sanctions that would also extend to the nuclear sector.
The German federal government accuses the Kremlin of orchestrating hybrid attacks against the country through sabotage, espionage, and fake news. The production of fuel requires the involvement of Russian experts, which heightens concerns regarding national and pan-European security. The ministry in Hanover noted that the permit could be reviewed should new risks arise, particularly in the area of national security.
State Environment Minister Christian Mayer, a member of the Alliance ’90/The Greens party, previously called such a decision “fundamentally wrong.” Civil society groups and environmental organizations are also opposing the agreement with Russia.
