Germany approves Rosatom-linked nuclear fuel project in Lower Saxony

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BERLIN — A nuclear project linked to Russian state-owned company Rosatom has been given the go-ahead by state authorities in northwest Germany, under strict conditions to mitigate risks posed by Russian involvement.

As first reported by POLITICO , the Lower Saxony Ministry of the Environment granted French company Framatome permission on Wednesday to manufacture Russian-designed nuclear fuel rods and assemblies in the town of Lingen, northwest Germany.

The French-Russian project, which will be operated by Framatome (a subsidiary of French state-owned EDF), will use key Russian components supplied by TVEL, a subsidiary of the Kremlin-controlled nuclear giant Rosatom. TVEL will not operate the plant itself but will provide the essential Russian-made parts. The proposal had previously sparked concerns in both regional and federal government circles over potential espionage and security risks.

The approval notice lays out extensive conditions. For example, employees of Rosatom and TVEL are barred from entering the plant. “Access is only permitted in justified exceptional cases and when accompanied by the nuclear regulatory authority,” explained a spokesperson for the Lower Saxony Ministry of the Environment.

The regulations also stipulate extensive safety inspections of the licensed machines supplied by TVEL and Framatome subsidiary ANF. Framatome employees must adhere to rules governing their interactions with TVEL and Rosatom employees, particularly regarding protection against espionage, sabotage, and recruitment attempts.

The green light comes as nuclear power is increasingly seen as essential to wean the EU off fossil fuels — while the bloc is simultaneously trying to ban energy imports from Russia in response to President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Passing the buck

According to Lower Saxony, an updated assessment by security authorities regarding Russian involvement and proposed security requirements for the project was a key factor in the decision to grant the license (as previously reported by POLITICO). The updated assessment was in a federal government statement issued in February and drawn up under the leadership of Germany’s Federal Ministry for the Environment. Under the “traffic-light” coalition government, the statements issued by the relevant federal ministries had been significantly more critical.

Christian Meyer State Minister for Environment, Energy and Climate Protection outside the Emsland nuclear power plant on the day the plant is officially shutting down on April 15, 2023 near Lingen. | David Hecker/Getty Images

Although the Lower Saxony Ministry of the Environment itself made the final decision on the project in Lingen, Lower Saxony’s Environment Minister Christian Meyer considers the federal government’s approval and the revised safety assessment to be “fundamentally wrong.” But Meyer had to accept them in a state governed by the rule of law, he said.

Meyer’s office says it asked the federal ministry whether there was still a possibility that, even with the strict conditions in place, the application might be rejected on grounds of internal and external security. Berlin’s response was unequivocal: “Based on the current findings regarding the risk potential and the conditions imposed, there is no discernible situation that would allow for a legally sound refusal of the permit.”

Foreign policy expert from the center-right Christian Democratic Union Roderich Kiesewetter is calling for the revocation of the permit. “This decision poses a security risk and must be reversed,” Kiesewetter said. He said that the decision to approve the Lingen project could be viewed almost exclusively as either a successful Russian influence operation or an incomprehensible display of irresponsibility.

The Federal Ministry for the Environment denies any responsibility for the decision. The Lower Saxony Ministry of the Environment, as the licensing authority, is responsible for investigating and assessing the facts of the case. Although the state ministry is subject to federal supervision, it makes its decisions independently, provided that the federal ministry does not assume decision-making authority in the matter.

In practice, however, the federal ministry has been involved in the project since 2022, having reserved the right to approve the final decision — which it has now done.