French nuclear fuels company Orano warned on Friday of a “deteriorating financial situation” at its Somair uranium plant in Niger, whose board it said had sought a temporary halt on expenditures related to mining and processing ore.
Orano owns more than 60% of Somair, while Niger’s state-owned Sopamin holds the rest. Niger is one of the world’s largest producers of uranium, the most widely used fuel for nuclear energy.
“What is being announced is in no way a cessation of operations or closing of the site, but merely the decision to place a stop on all nonessential expenditure in the current configuration,” said Orano.
Orano, which had to reschedule maintenance operations at Somair in September, added that Somair’s financial problems would also affect Somair’s 750 staff.
Reference
France’s Orano warns of financial problems at Niger uranium plant Somair | Reuters
