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 said.
Orano had been granted a permit to work at the Imouraren mine in northern Niger, which contains an estimated 200,000 tons of metal essential for nuclear energy production.
After years of production delays, the West African country had 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But on Thursday, Orano said his permit had been revoked – a move that comes amid tensions between France and Niger’s ruling junta.
Since taking power in last year’s coup, Niger’s military has reduced its ties with France and forged closer ties with Russia.
Relations with France reached a low point in December after the junta expelled French troops deployed to fight Islamist militants in the region.
The military government also promised to review foreign mining concessions in the country after it took power.
“Orano fears that this decision to revoke the mining permit for the site will have a negative impact on the economic, social and societal development of the region,” the company said in a statement.
It reserved the right to take legal action against the withdrawal and “remains ready to keep open all channels of communication with the Nigerien authorities on this issue,” Orano added.
The government in Niger, one of the world’s largest producers of uranium, did not comment on Orano’s statement.
However, it had previously warned that it would revoke Orano’s license if development work in Imouraren had not started by June 19.
Mining was planned to begin there in 2015, but production was halted following a collapse in world uranium prices in the wake of Japan’s 2011 nuclear disaster.
The French company has been present in Niger for more than 50 years.
A uranium mine in Akokan has been closed since 2021, but Orano operates another in the northern Arlit region.
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