Niger’s military government has revoked a French fuel producer’s license to operate in one of the world’s largest uranium mines, the company says.
Orano has been licensed to work at the Imouraren mine in northern Niger, which contains around 200,000 tonnes of the metal vital for nuclear energy production.
After years of production delays, the West African country warned that Orano’s license would expire unless work resumed at the site.
On June 11, about a week before the deadline, Orano announced that work had begun.
But on Thursday Orano said his license had been withdrawn – a move that comes amid tensions between France and Niger’s ruling junta.
Since the Nigerian military seized power in last year’s coup, it has been reducing its ties with France and establishing closer ties with Russia.
Relations with France hit rock bottom in December after the junta expelled French troops deployed to fight Islamic militants in the region.
The military government also promised to review foreign mining concessions in the country after taking power.
“Orano fears that this decision to withdraw the mining license from the deposit will have a negative impact on the economic, social and social development of the region,” the company said in a statement.
It reserved the right to take legal action against the withdrawal and “remains willing to keep all channels of communication open with the Nigerien authorities on this matter,” Orano added.
The government of Niger, which is one of the largest uranium producers in the world, did not comment on Orano’s statement.
However, it had already warned that it would terminate Orano’s license if development work had not begun at Imouraren by 19 June.
Mining was supposed to begin there in 2015, but production was halted following a collapse in world uranium prices following the 2011 Japanese nuclear disaster.
The French company has been present in Niger for over 50 years.
A uranium mine in Akokan has been closed since 2021, but Orano runs another in the northern Arlit region.
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