Nuclear restraint: Britain wants to abandon uranium from Russia by 2028

The UK will abandon purchases of Russian uranium by 2028 due to supplies from the United States, Izvestia found out. London's ambitions include reducing Russia's share in the global nuclear fuel market, as a uranium enrichment plant is already under construction. At the same time, the British government's policy of limiting imports from Russia and switching to renewable energy sources has already led to the cost of electricity in the country being 3-4 times higher than in the United States. Experts believe that the UK will be able to launch production of enriched uranium in a few years, but will not displace Russia from this market. Against the background of the US and EU plans to abandon Russian uranium, Moscow is redirecting export flows to Asia.

Britain will abandon Russian uranium

The United Kingdom intends to completely abandon the import of Russian uranium by 2028 due to supplies from the United States, the Russian Embassy in London told Izvestia.

— Previously, the local government intended to completely abandon Russian uranium by 2030, but as part of the recent "technological prosperity deal" with the Americans, the schedule was shifted to 2028. It is quite clear that [this will happen] due to supplies from the United States, which already had experience replacing Russian fuel in Ukraine," the Russian diplomatic mission told Izvestia.

At the same time, we are not talking about direct supplies from the United States, but about purchases of fuel of Russian origin owned by the French company EDF. In 2018, EDF and a subsidiary of Rosatom signed a contract for the processing of French regenerated uranium from spent nuclear fuel.

The share of Russian fuel reaches 5% of the total volume of British imports of resources for nuclear power plants. Back in 2022, London imposed 35% duties on imports of fissile materials from Russia. The policy of the British government has led to an increase in the cost of electricity, the Russian Embassy in London said.

— On the issue of trade with Russia, the British are not concerned about economic expediency. Russophobia and an obsession with the early transition to renewable energy sources are at the root of many of Britain's current economic problems. It comes to the point that the cost of electricity here is 3-4 times higher than in the USA. At the same time, local authorities blame Russia for the price spike, rather than high taxes on emissions and direct restrictions on the use of certain types of fossil fuels, Russian diplomats stressed.

In addition to the United States, Canada, France and Japan can also help the UK abandon Russian uranium.

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London wants to oust Russia from the nuclear fuel market

The United Kingdom plans not only to stop purchasing Russian uranium, but also to displace it from the world market. London is actively investing in the production of high-grade low-enriched uranium, expanding fuel production for modern small modular reactors (MMR), Oleg Okhoshin, senior researcher at the Center for British Studies at the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Izvestia.

In the county of Cheshire in the north-east of England, a plant for the production of highly enriched uranium is due to be operational by 2031, with $250 million allocated for construction.

— The plan for the construction of the Urenco plant is being implemented as part of a program for the production of high-grade low-enriched uranium, primarily for small modular reactors under development. Its planned capacity should reach 10 tons per year. This is not so small, considering that, according to forecasts, the needs of, for example, the United States at that time would be 40 tons per year. London has officially stated that one of the main goals of the project is to oust Russia from the nuclear fuel market. However, at the moment, the British have neither an operating MMR nor a plant for the production of the uranium they need," the Russian Embassy in the UK said.

There are currently nine nuclear reactors operating in Britain at four power plants, which provide about 15% of the country's electricity. However, the contribution of nuclear energy to the overall energy mix has decreased significantly since the 1990s, and many reactors have become obsolete. Of the major nuclear power plants, only Hinkley Point C is currently under construction, but the project is facing delays and significant cost increases.

In January 2024, the British Cabinet announced a roadmap for the development of civil nuclear energy until 2050. Its goal is to revive the nuclear industry and bring its share in the energy mix to 25%. Small modular reactors have become the cornerstone of this plan. The first one is due to start operating in North Wales in the mid-2030s.

The UK has noticeably lagged behind in the field of nuclear energy due to the shift in focus to renewable sources. Therefore, London will need several years to start production of enriched uranium. Russia's losses will be minimal, since the bulk of the enriched uranium goes to other countries, Stanislav Mitrakhovich, a leading expert at the National Energy Security Foundation and the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, said in an interview with Izvestia. Oleg Okhoshin agrees with him — in his opinion, the UK does not have the opportunity to oust the Russian Federation from the nuclear market.

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How the West refuses nuclear fuel from the Russian Federation

Britain's plans to phase out Russian uranium are just part of the collective West's efforts to displace Russian nuclear fuel. The United States and the European Union have already announced strategies to boost domestic production and diversify imports. By the early 2030s, Western countries are likely to completely stop importing Russian nuclear fuel.

The Biden administration banned the import of uranium from Russia back in 2024. However, until January 2028, the US Department of Energy, in coordination with the Secretary of State and the Minister of Finance, will be able to issue permits for the import of Russian uranium if there are no other sources of supply. According to Bloomberg, Russia supplied the United States with about 20% of the enriched uranium used as fuel for American nuclear power plants, these sales brought Moscow about $1 billion annually.

Back in May, the European Commission presented a roadmap for the complete abandonment of Russian energy resources, including nuclear fuel. The most active supporters of this course were Germany, Poland and the Baltic States. Hungary, Slovakia and France are among the opponents. Therefore, in June, the EC postponed the publication of plans, deciding first to focus on the import of Russian gas.

Igor Yushkov, an expert at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation and the National Energy Security Fund, clarified in an interview with Izvestia that Rosatom is the world leader in the production of enriched uranium. Historically, the Russian Federation has supplied nuclear fuel for nuclear power plants built by our specialists, for example, to Hungary and Slovakia.

— In recent decades, Rosatom has even been trying to enter the markets of competitors, it has created fuel assemblies that are suitable for Western-designed reactors. But this penetration is extremely difficult for various reasons," the expert noted.

Yushkov believes that the ban on the import of enriched uranium from Russia to the United States, the EU and the UK will lead to a restructuring of the market. Moscow will redirect the released volumes to Asian countries. Compared to oil or gas revenues, this is a small line of federal budget revenues, so such changes will not have an impact on the Russian economy.