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Urenco's role in the nuclear fuel chain: Uranium mining and (in)transparency

AuteurWISE, D.Bannink, Peter Diehl
1-01-8-30-56.pdf
Datummei 2014
Classificatie 1.01.8.30/56 (URENCO/UCN - ALGEMEEN)
Voorkant

Uit de publicatie:

Uranium mining and (in)transparency: URENCO’s role in the nuclear fuel chain

Introduction
Exploration and exploitation of uranium is the starting point of the nuclear fuel chain. Uranium mining can have a
tremendous impact on environment and society in the respective regions.

Legislation concerning uranium mining in western countries is getting stricter and stricter. At the same time ura-
nium mining exploration licenses in many developing economies are rapidly increasing whilst objective informa-
tion provision on this type of mining & governance implications are strongly lagging behind. Fresh uranium comes
from countries such as Niger, Namibia, and in future potentially from Malawi, Mali, Cameroon and Tanzania. Full
transparency over the whole fuel chain makes it possible to influence both end users (in this case Europe) and
producers (in this case African countries) to take responsibility on environmental governance and security and
civil society issues that are tied into nuclear energy and uranium mining, workers’ rights, empowering civil society
organizations (CSO) in the participating countries in Africa, democracy, health and fair prices.

The URENCO group (Uranium Enrichment Company) enriches uranium for around 50 utilities in at least 18 coun-
tries. This means it fuels around 170 nuclear power stations worldwide.

This report gives important background information on uranium mining and enrichment, the policy framework of
the European Union, activities of URENCO, their transparency and corporate social responsibility, contract infor-
mation, proliferation treaties and safeguards. With this report we want to encourage stakeholders like
governments, the civil society, the private sector and international bodies, to engage in a debate on corporate
social responsibility.

A first step could be to fully disclose the origin of the uranium that is enriched in the URENCO facilities.

World Information Service on Energy, March 2014