Umstrittenes Energieprojekt: BUND klagt gegen Atomproduktion für russische Reaktoren

The environmental group BUND has initiated legal proceedings against the production of Russian reactor components in Lingen, Lower Saxony. The lawsuit was filed on Thursday with the Oberverwaltungsgericht (Higher Administrative Court) in Lüneburg, according to BUND on Friday. A court clerk confirmed the receipt of the filing. The lawsuit targets the German state of Lower Saxony, which had approved the expanded production.

What is planned in Lingen The Advanced Nuclear Fuels GmbH (ANF), a subsidiary of Framatome based in Lingen, intends to produce reactor fuel elements for Russian-designed nuclear power plants. Framatome plans to cooperate with a subsidiary of Russia's state-owned conglomerate Rosatom. The Lower Saxony Ministry of the Environment granted permission for the disputed factory expansion in July, citing the need to assess possible risks from espionage or sabotage.

BUND and the anti-nuclear organization Ausgestrahlt, which support the lawsuit, have different concerns. They criticize the planned cooperation with Rosatom and warn of geopolitical risks. BUND President Olaf Bandt warned that increased sabotage attempts in Germany could lead to Rosatom gaining access to critical infrastructure in Lingen, strengthening Russia's influence in Germany and Europe.

Bandt stated that since production and part of the quality control are conducted using Rosatom-supplied machines in Lingen, the production and inspection could be manipulated, raising serious safety and foreign policy questions. The anti-nuclear group also believes that the ministry's approval of the expansion is based on "serious procedural errors," such as the environmental impact assessment.

The Ministry of the Environment in Hannover confirmed to a request for comment on the lawsuit that its position on the approval of the expansion is known. The ministry's Environment Minister, Christian Meyer (Green), had criticized the collaboration between Framatome and Rosatom at the time of the July approval, stating that doing business with the Russian nuclear corporation was "politically wrong."

The ministry argued that dependencies on Russia should be reduced, especially in the sensitive nuclear sector. A spokesperson for the Higher Administrative Court stated that it was still unclear when an oral hearing would be held, and that administrative proceedings would need to be requested first.