ENERGO: Uranium, solar and hydro business announcements feature during Macron’s Uzbekistan visit

Among business announcements made during French President Emmanuel Macron’s November 2 visit to Uzbekistan was a statement from French uranium giant Orano that it has extracted 350 kilograms of uranium in a pilot project in the Central Asian country and intends to boost its presence there.

France, heavily reliant on nuclear energy and wary of its nuclear energy security retaining any significant reliance on Russian uranium given the geopolitical situation, is looking to develop uranium ventures across Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Mongolia. France’s sourcing of uranium from Niger is also threatened by degraded relations following the coup that took place in the West African nation in July. Uzbekistan is the world's fifth-largest uranium producer.

Around 60 French business leaders accompanied Macron on his visit to Uzbekistan, the first paid by a French leader to the country since that of Francois Mitterrand in 1994.