French Company Orano Accuses Niger of Taking Control of Uranium Subsidiary.

Niamey: French company Orano has accused Nigerien authorities of taking control of Somaïr, a subsidiary responsible for uranium processing. Somaïr is part of the French industrial group Orano. A press release from the group, shared on Wednesday across multiple media platforms, has brought this development to light. The document mentions that Orano has observed the Nigerien authorities taking operational control of Somaïr.According to Burkina Information Agency, during a board meeting on December 3, Orano representatives were informed by Niger officials of their refusal to allow the export of the company's products. Orano's experts have assessed that the financial situation of Somaïr is deteriorating daily due to production-related expenses. As a result, Orano is determined to protect its rights with the appropriate authorities.The World Nuclear Association (WNA) reported that Niger contributed approximately 4% of the global uranium production in 2022. Additional sources indicated that last year, France re lied on uranium from Niger to satisfy 15% of its needs for nuclear reactors, which provide 65% of the nation's electricity. Moreover, the European Atomic Energy Community's (Euratom) supply agency noted that European Union energy companies also depended on Niger, the world's seventh-largest uranium producer.