Sweden: Vattenfall's purchase of nuclear fuel from Rosatom criticised

While the conflict of Russia and Ukraine proceeds, Swedish state-owned energy company Vattenfall buys nuclear fuel from a subsidiary to Russian nuclear power company Rosatom that is responsible for the Russian nuclear weapon programme. Rosatom is controlled by the Russian state and its manager and board members are established by Russian President Putin. Vattenfall's collaboration with Rosatom reaches back to 2008, when Vattenfall looked for a third supplier besides the French company Areva and US company Westinghouse in order to spread the risks. Ove Nilsson, Vice President Nuclear Fuel at Vattenfall, says that Vattenfall's ambition is to have several suppliers not be dependent on one, and all suppliers are judged to meet the standard. Rosatom has stated that the project enables Rosatom to enter the market of west-designed reactors and increase Russian presence on the global nuclear fuel market. Member of the Swedish parliament Laila Naraghi states that it is not in Sweden's interest to let foreign powers in our nuclear power plants in this way. She calls for colleagues in the government to stop the contract with Rosatom. Ove Nilsson notes that Vattenfall is particularly careful with what information is disclosed and there are strict requirements on processing of information.