The arrival of the “Mikhail Dudin” in Rotterdam was reported by the group “EcoDefense!”, and the ship's arrival is confirmed by maritime tracking services. According to environmentalists, the cargo is intended for a plant in Lingen — a city in the German state of Lower Saxony — which belongs to the French company Framatome's subsidiary, Advanced Nuclear Fuels (ANF).
The plant in Lingen is starting production of nuclear fuel under a TVEL license, which is part of the Rosatom structure. After unloading, the uranium is to be delivered there by truck, and the ship itself, according to activists, was supposed to arrive on October 21 but was delayed by a day.
The Insider, citing “EcoDefense!”, says this is the first time Rosatom has sent fuel rods to launch production of fuel for Soviet-designed reactors operating in Europe. The group's statement also claims that Russian equipment will be used at all stages in Lingen and that Rosatom experts will likely be involved.
Activists add that in 2024, 20 Rosatom employees were in Lingen and could move freely around the site and build personal contacts. According to them, Framatome effectively only provides certification from the EU for Russian nuclear fuel, protected from sanctions.
On September 21, a protest took place outside the plant in Lingen with the participation of Agiel, SOFA, Ausgestrahlt, and “EcoDefense!”. The participants demanded an end to cooperation with Rosatom and the withdrawal of the permit granted to the Russian corporation.
At the end of July, the authorities of Lower Saxony allowed the company to expand production, and the state's environment minister, Christian Meyer, spoke out against this decision. At the same time, he said that the authorities had no legal grounds to refuse the permit, since the European Union had not imposed sanctions on Rosatom.
After the permit was issued, the organizations BUND Lower Saxony and ausgestrahlt appealed to the Higher Administrative Court in Lüneburg, demanding that it be suspended. At the time of publication, the court is considering this request.
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