Germany has authorized a nuclear project carried out in collaboration with Rosatom. The project is controversial due to Russia's involvement.

The Ministry of the Environment in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt authorized on Wednesday ANF, a subsidiary of the French company Framatome, to produce nuclear fuel in north-western Germany, in collaboration with the Russian state group Rosatom. The project is controversial due to Russia's involvement, but the federal ministry of the environment stated that authorization decisions are made in accordance with the law.

The fuel will be produced in a plant in Lingen, and concerns about national security arise from the participation of Russian experts and the delivery of equipment from Russia. The ministry emphasized that the authorization can be re-examined if new risks arise.

ANF requested authorization in March 2022, and the fuel is compatible with nuclear reactors in Central and Eastern Europe. Although EU sanctions mainly target oil and gas, cooperation in the civil nuclear sector has continued due to a lack of alternatives. Russia controls a significant portion of the global uranium market, complicating the situation for countries with Soviet-type nuclear power plants.