EU Seeks to End Reliance on Russian Nuclear Fuel

The European Union has pledged to cut itself off entirely from Russian energy, yet dependence remains significant in the nuclear sector. Around 25% of the enriched uranium used in the EU still comes from Russia, according to NZZ.

A key challenge lies in VVER reactors operating in countries including Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary. These reactors require specific fuel traditionally supplied by Russia’s Rosatom. In total, 19 Soviet-designed reactors rely on such fuel.

While Russian gas imports are set to be phased out by 2027 and have already fallen to about 15%, the transition in nuclear energy is expected to take much longer.

The EU is seeking alternatives. US company Westinghouse is already supplying fuel to some countries, while France’s Framatome is developing a European solution, with production expected to begin in 2028.

However, licensing and testing of new fuel will take years, and full independence is not expected before 2034–2035.

Nuclear energy remains one of the last areas of strategic dependence on Russia. Ukraine, by contrast, began reducing its reliance on Russian nuclear fuel after 2014.

(pir)