The foreign and defense politician Roderich Kiesewetter of the CDU welcomed the planned entry of the Federal Government into the multinational atomic corporation Urenco. The fuel element manufacturer, in which RWE and Eon are also involved via a holding company, is increasingly active in the military nuclear sector. Kiesewetter told the TV channel Welt on Friday that the involvement was militarily sound, partly because one cannot rely on the US nuclear shield indefinitely.
He explained that this is an absolutely wise decision. Urenco belongs to three countries: Great Britain, the Netherlands, and a German corporate consortium. As the nuclear power phase-out proceeds, RWE and another German energy company are exiting, and the Federal Government is taking over the shares for approximately 4 billion euros. Urenco is extremely important for enrichment, but it is also very helpful for non-military nuclear energy use or nuclear applications.
Looking at the USA, Kiesewetter stated that it is unclear how the US nuclear shield will look in the future. The Federal Government’s planned engagement with Urenco is therefore an absolutely correct decision, as it is necessary to prepare safely from a security perspective. The Urenco deal would be important not only for Germany but also for a future European security structure, according to the CDU politician. He viewed it as a strategically very wise decision that should be welcomed.
Kiesewetter expects that Urenco could additionally help sanction the Russian fuel element manufacturer Rosatom in the civil sector by creating alternatives to its products.
