The French company, Areva, on Monday said it has reached its highest possible level of uranium production, making it the world’s second largest producer of the commodity with 9,760 tons of uranium produced in 2012, PANA reports here.
Areva’s mining sites in Niger (SOMAIR), with a production capacity of 3,065 tons of uranium, has overrun its record of the previous year, according to a communiqué issued by the French group.
The other Nigerien mining group, Compagnie minière d’Akouta, recorded a big performance too with a production of 512 tons of uranium.
Areva, made up seven subsidiaries which are operating in 45 industrial plants across the world, is owned up to 80% by the French government.
It has been exploiting Niger’s uranium mine for over 40 years.
Meanwhile, several NGOs based in Niger have blamed Areva for not providing sufficient information to its local workers on the risks and dangers of their activities.
