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The Government of Niger has tied up with the French nuclear giant, Orano to undertake uranium exploration in an identified site in Imouraren in the northern Arlit region. Imouraren SA is a joint venture between Orano and the Niger government.
Niger, home to one of the largest deposits of uranium, the feedstock of nuclear reactors, across the world, is in the news. The other day, www.trendanafrica.com has reported that heaps of waste accumulated after extracting uranium are kept close to mines that are lying some 80 kilometers from the town of Arlit, which is the biggest source of uranium in the country. The Imouraren project, which was active, was put on hold after the price of uranium collapsed in the international market due to the Fukushima disaster in Japan, which happened in 2011.
Since then, the uranium price has shot up mainly because many countries are giving importance to tapping alternative sources of energy including nuclear energy to reduce the carbon footprint. Fossil fuels like oil and coal are losing their lustre because of their carbon emissions.
The Government of Niger has tied up with the French nuclear giant, Orano to undertake uranium exploration in an identified site in Imouraren in the northern Arlit region. Imouraren SA is a joint venture between Orano and the Niger government.
The site is estimated to have 200,000 tons of uranium. However, there are concerns expressed by environmentalists and people living in the nearby areas about the health hazards that can be caused by open pit mining. Therefore, the French company is considering using the in-situ recovery (ISR) method for extraction.
Instead of open-pit mining, the team is now studying the in-situ recovery (ISR) method of extraction at the site which is estimated to hold 200,000 tonnes of the metal. The method involves using chemicals to dissolve uranium from the rock in the ground itself and sucking the liquefied uranium to the surface. French is optimistic that the technology will minimise if not totally eliminate the release of particles that can cause many ailments including cancer.
The project has the potential to cause concerns among the people living close to the mining area. Already local people are up against the radioactive heaps of uranium wastes lying in open mounds. These have been lying there for more than four decades. So far, no efforts have been made to neutralize the radioactivity of the wastes, threatening the health of the local population. Environmentalists across the world raised their concerns about the project and the possible leak of radon, which can cause cancer. This view has been shared by a French organization known as the Independent Research and Information Commission on Radioactivity.
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However, the Government of Niger is more influenced by the revenues that uranium will bring in to undertake its developmental activities. It is to be seen how the French mining giant is going to address the environmental issues while undertaking the mining operations.
