2023-08-03 15:04:00
While France began Tuesday evening to evacuate its nationals from Niger following the putsch orchestrated last week, the French group Orano maintains its activities on the spot. “Today, operational activities continue”indicates to the Tribune the company specializing in the nuclear fuel cycle.
In total, Orano employs 900 people in Niger, 99% of whom are of Niger nationality. The company also works with 1,200 subcontractors, almost exclusively from Niger as well. “The continuity of activities is therefore not linked to the presence of expatriates”specifies the company, which adds that vigilance has been reinforced in order to ensure the safety of employees and sites. « Our priority is to maintain the safety of our employees in the country », ensures the group.
“As regards foreign nationals, Orano is in permanent contact and closely follows the instructions given by the Embassy aimed at giving the possibility to expatriate employees who so wish to leave Nigerien territory. About ten Orano employees are concerned”indicates the company, without specifying however whether employees have already been repatriated.
Three sites, but only one mine in operation
The tricolor group, 90% owned by the State, has been present in Niger for more than 50 years through three subsidiaries under Nigerien law, which correspond to three mining sites dedicated to the extraction of uranium, the ore which fuels nuclear reactors. These are the Akokan Mines Company (Cominak), the Aïr Mines Company (Somaïr) and Imouraren. All are co-owned by the Niger state and are located in the desert northwest of the country, near the town of Arlit, 800 kilometers as the crow flies from Niamey, the capital.
Currently, only the Somaïr open-pit mine is in operation. “Today, we have a vision of the mine’s production over a horizon of nearly 10 to 15 years”, says Orano. “Investments in terms of R&D, innovation and operational excellence allow us to better develop and better understand the deposits, which allows us to extend the operating life”, further clarifies the group.
Production at the Cominak underground mine was halted at the end of March 2021. But Orano has not deserted the site because it is still carrying out post-mining activities there: remediation and environmental monitoring work must, indeed, continue until 2033.
Cominak, a closed mine to be secured
Finally, on the Imouraren site, production has not yet started. Often presented as the “mine of the century” with reserves estimated at nearly 200,000 tonnes of uranium, it was mothballed in 2013, while the group assessed the feasibility of a method of extracting uranium by pumping, reports an article from the Monde. This process consists of injecting acid into the ground before pumping it to suck up the ore. Orano plans to test its economic and environmental performance via two pilot projects, the first of which is scheduled for 2024. An investment decision is expected in 2028.
For the time being, there is no indication that Orano will be forced to leave Niger. However, if the new regime decides to drive out the French group, this might have several consequences. Questions have multiplied over the last few days regarding the potential risks for the supply of uranium to France and the European Union in general (see our box at the end of the article), but another category of risk might also To draw oneself. It is linked to the remediation work at the Cominak mine.
« If the new regime drove out Orano, and if the site was neither taken over by the Nigerien State nor by another industrialist, these security operations would be abandoned and this might present a health and environmental risk. “, points out Tristan Kamin, nuclear safety engineer.
Partition off groundwater
Orano is currently working on partitioning several groundwater tables crossed by a gallery. If these operations were stopped, “The water used by the local population might then be contaminated by groundwater which bathes in the uranium deposit”explains the engineer.
The tricolor group must also strive to control waste rock and mining residues. The first designate earth, sand or rock containing no or very little uranium ore, but which must however be extracted to access the exploitable ore. The second is the finely ground part of the ore, resulting from the separation of rock and uranium in the ore processing plant. They come in the form of fine clayey sands and still contain 70% of the initial radioactivity.
« These tailings and waste rock must be covered to control the rate at which they erode and thus prevent radioactive dust from spreading more quickly than is acceptable or rainwater from loading up and polluting groundwater. “, details Tristan Kamin. ” These operations are very generic and do not particularly concern uranium mines “says the engineer.
Economic losses in the event of withdrawal
The exposure of the population to these dangers, if they arise, might also be reduced, notes the specialist, insofar as the neighboring town of Arlit, built especially for the exploitation of the mines of Somaïr and Cominak , might be emptied in the wake of the hypothetical departure of Orano.
“Cominak, a company in which the State of Niger is a co-shareholder [à hauteur de 31%, ndlr], continues its activities. The mostly Nigerien employees are responsible for the redevelopment and environmental monitoring of the industrial site,” today assures the tricolor group, contacted by The Tribune.
A forced withdrawal from Orano would also result in economic losses for the group, even if the weight of Niger has clearly decreased in its uranium production mix. In 2022, Niger’s uranium production represented around 14.5% of Orano’s production mix, i.e. around 1,200 tonnes out of a total of around 8,200 tonnes. The same year, the French group also produced 2,000 tons of uranium in Kazakhstan and 5,000 tons in Canada. By way of comparison, in 2021, Niger weighed 32% in Orano’s production mix.
What regarding the supply of uranium to France and the European Union in the event of a severance of ties?
If Niger today represents a quarter of the supply of the Twenty-Seven, the European Commission estimated on Tuesday that there was ” no risk “ and this because of the stocks already constituted.
The question arises specifically for France and its 54 nuclear reactors whose consumption of enriched uranium corresponds, on average, each year to the equivalent of 7,000 tonnes of natural uranium. No risk of supply disruption either, believes Teva Meyer, specialist in nuclear geopolitics. “Uranium is neither oil nor gas in geopolitical time: if a mine is shut down, this has no immediate effect on final fuel consumption considering the multiple intermediate stages of transformation »he explains on Twitter.
Especially since France has a large stock for its fleet. ” The law requires two years’ worth of inventory. But, in practice, if we look at the inventory at the end of 2021, France has ten years of stocks, made up of fuel already assembled, already enriched uranium and unenriched natural uranium. “, explains Tristan Kamin, nuclear safety engineer.
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