Orano says uranium convoy from seized Niger mine poses safety risks

French nuclear fuels group Orano said on Monday a uranium shipment from its expropriated SOMAIR mine in northern Niger last week posed “serious safety and security risks”, citing threats of diversion of the radioactive material and breaches of international transport rules.

Orano said on November 27 it learned from media reports that a convoy carrying uranium concentrate, known as yellowcake, had left the Arlit mining site.

The company said it was not involved in the transfer and has no details about the quantity, destination or buyer.

“Transporting a large quantity of uranium through an unsecured corridor poses significant safety and security risks,” Orano said by email, adding that roads unsuited for such loads could lead to the diversion of the shipment.

A security source told Reuters that about 1,050 tons of uranium were moved from the SOMAIR site last week, though the destination and buyer remained unclear.

‘Legitimate right’ to sell uranium

Niger government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

But in a broadcast Sunday night, Niger’s state television said the country would exercise its “legitimate right” to sell uranium from the SOMAIR mine to any buyer under market rules, as sovereignty over natural resources was “non-negotiable”.

The broadcast showed President Abdourahamane Tiani at the Arlit mine, saying he vowed to end decades of French control and reclaim what officials called “wealth plundered for more than half a century”.

It did not mention the volume of the shipment or the buyers but described the move as a turning point, pledging to put uranium on the international market despite foreign criticism and tribunal orders.

Niger is battling Islamist insurgents in its remote northern and western regions, where militants have seized stretches of land and, in some cases, blocked key transport routes.

Orano said it had no confirmation that international transport regulations were observed or the loading conditions of the material.

Resource nationalism

The move violates a September ruling by the World Bank’s International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, which barred Niger from selling or transferring SOMAIR’s uranium in breach of Orano’s rights.

Orano says it reserves the right to pursue further legal action, including criminal proceedings against third parties.

The dispute underscores rising resource nationalism following Niger’s 2023 coup, which has strained ties with Western partners and raised supply security concerns for European utilities reliant on Niger’s uranium.

Niger, the world’s seventh-largest producer of the nuclear fuel and cancer treatment material, seized SOMAIR in December and nationalized it under a June ordinance, stripping Orano of operational control after decades of partnership.

Orano held a 63.4% stake in the mine with the Niger state owning the remainder.

The takeover mirrors a broader push by West African governments to tighten control over resources and boost revenues as commodity prices surge.

Reuters previously reported that about 1,500 metric tons of uranium were stockpiled at SOMAIR, with potential buyers including Turkish, Iranian and Russian interests.

Niger accounted for 15% of Orano’s uranium supplies when its mines were in full operation.

(By Maxwell Akalaare Adombila and Niger newsroom; Editing by Alex Richardson)