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AREVA in Niger
PRESS CONTACTS
France: +33 (0)1 34 96 12 15
Niger: +227 98 27 00 00
[email protected]
info: www.niger.areva.com
AREVA IN NIGER
AREVA IN NIGER,
KEY FACTS
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Present in Niger for over fifty years,
AREVA is the principal shareholder
in the Nigerien mining companies
SOMAÏR and COMINAK.
These companies exploit uranium
deposits located in the region of Arlit,
in Northern Niger.
AREVA is also getting ready to bring the immense
Imouraren deposit into production. To carry out this
project, the Group and its partners created
IMOURAREN SA in February 2009. As the operator
of the site, this company will produce 5,000 tonnes
of uranium a year for about 35 years.
At the end of 2011, the Group had nearly 2,600
employees in Niger, 98 percent of whom were
Nigerien. Through their work each day, they are
strengthening the win-win partnership between the
mining companies and Niger, and demonstrating the
mining know-how acquired by Niger over the years.
Thanks to this solid partnership, more than 115,000
tonnes of uranium have been extracted in Niger over
a period of 40 years.
In 2011, the two mining companies produced 4,159
tonnes of uranium. Their activities, conducted in
compliance with health, safety and environmental
protection standards, are a source of substantial
economic and material benefits for Niger and its
people. Niger’s No. 1 export today, uranium has
contributed an average of €30 million annually to the
nation’s budget in recent years.
Since the founding of the mining companies, the
Group’s involvement in the country has gone well
beyond its mining activities. In partnership with
NGOs and representatives of the local populations,
AREVA has implemented an ambitious social policy,
to which it will allocate a substantial €6 million
annually over the next four years.
The country’s largest private employer and a loyal
partner of Niger regardless of events or uranium price
trends, AREVA is a responsible corporation that
makes transparency, compliance with international
standards and social commitment key aspects of its
industrial strategy.
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AREVA IN NIGER
AREVA AND NIGER,
a strong partnership
NIGER
Religion: 98% of the population is Muslim
Languages: French (the official language) and several local
languages, including Haussa, Djerma, Tamasheq, Fulfulde,
Kanouri, Toubou, Arabic and Gourmantché.
Independence: August 3, 1960
Area: 1,267,000 sq. km (about twice the size of France)
Population: Niger had about 15.7 million inhabitants in 2011,
living in the west and the river valley (Djerma-Sonrai, Peuhl and
Guma ethnic groups), in the center and east (Haoussa, Kanouri,
Toubou, Arab and Peuhl), and in the North (Tuareg, Arab and
Peuhl). The population growth rate of 3.5% is one of the highest
in the world.
Economy:
Share of GDP by sector:
- Agriculture and livestock raising: 46.7% (millet, sorghum,
cowpeas, rice, peanuts, cattle, camels, goats, etc.)
- Industry (including mining): 12.6%
- Services: 40.7%
GDP per capita (2011): €293 (source: INS Niger)
NIGER AND
URANIUM
Niger is a mineral-rich country with substantial
uranium resources. Their exploitation since the late
1960s has created thousands of direct and indirect
jobs and provided one of the country’s main sources
of revenue.
A worker at the SOMAÏR mine
Resin bolting in the COMINAK mine
The main deposits identified so far lie along
the western edge of the Air Mountains,
one of the largest uranium-rich regions in
the world. The airborne radiometric survey
carried out in 2003 revealed significant
surface uranium occurrences over an area
of 4,500 sq. km, equivalent to half the area
of the Paris region (Ile-de-France).
Two of the companies exploiting Niger’s
uranium resources are Niger-based SOMAÏR
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and COMINAK, whose principal shareholder
and operator is AREVA. The Group is
getting ready to start up mining as well at
the Imouraren site, located 80 km
southwest of Arlit. It also holds several
exploration permits in the Agadez region
(Tagaït 1, 2, 3 and Zeline 3).
The cornerstone at IMOURAREN
AREVA’S INTERESTS IN MINING COMPANIES IN NIGER
SOMAÏR – KEY FIGURES
COMINAK – KEY FIGURES
IMOURAREN SA – KEY FIGURES
Created in 1968
Created in 1974
Created in 2009
Annual production: 2,726 tU (2011)
Annual production: 1,433 tU (2011)
An investment of €1.2 billion, annual
production capacity of 5,000 tU over
35 years
Total production since 1971: over
52,700 tonnes
Total production since 1978: over
62,900 tonnes
Open-pit mines: 50 to 70 m deep
Underground mine: at a depth of 250 m
It will be Africa’s largest uranium mine in
terms of production and the world’s
second-largest in terms of reserves (over
180,000 tonnes identified)
Workforce: almost 1,200 employees in
2011; 98% are Nigerien
Workforce: almost 1,150 employees in
2011; 98% are Nigerien
Shareholding of KEPCO
10%
Workforce: Nearly 250 direct jobs and
400 subcontracted jobs in 2011;
ultimately 1,100 direct and more than 800
subcontracted jobs
10%
REPUBLIC OF
NIGER
(South Korea)
66.65%
AREVA SA
23.35%
IMOURAREN SA
63.6%
SOMAÏR
36.4%
34%
COMINAK
31%
10%
SOPAMIN
100%
(State-run holder of Nigerien
mining interests)
25%
ENUSA
OURD
(Empresa del Uranio SA
– Spain)
(Overseas Uranium Resources
Development – Japan)
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AREVA IN NIGER
OPERATING
as a responsible
company
As a responsible mining
operator, our primary
objective is simple: to
demonstrate excellence in terms of
safety, security and respect for the
environment.
Olivier Wantz
Senior Executive Vice President,
Mining Business Group
Workers at the COMINAK mine
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WORKING CONDITIONS
AND RADIATION
PROTECTION OF WORKERS
Health and safety in the workplace
The workers at AREVA’s mines in Niger benefit from an excellent
safety culture. The frequency rate for lost-time work accidents
there is eleven times lower than in French industry.
Over a 15-year period, the accident frequency
rate (AFR), that is, the number of lost-time work
accidents per million hours worked, has fallen
from over 50 to fewer than 1.5 (1.3 for SOMAÏR,
1.59 for COMINAK, and 1.49 for IMOURAREN
SA in 2011). The average in French industry is
26).
SOMAÏR and COMINAK have been certified,
respectively, since 2008 and 2011 to OHSAS
18001, an international standard of rigorous and
efficient health and safety management in the
workplace.
As for medical care, mine employees have an
occupational medical check-up each year.
SOMAÏR and COMINAK are in fact the only
private companies in Niger with a company
doctor specifically for this purpose.
Radiation exposure standards for workers identical to those
in Europe and Canada
The exposure of employees to ionizing radiation at AREVA’s mining sites is
given the utmost attention and permanently monitored. The Safety and
Radiation Protection Departments at the sites regularly conduct campaigns
to provide information and raise awareness.
A radiation dose history is kept for each exposed employee.
The results are consolidated for each work area and
exposure level and then posted.
The experts who serve on the International Commission on
Radiation Protection (ICRP) have determined that exposure
of workers to an average annual dose of 20 mSv or less
over a five-year period, with a maximum in any one year of
50 mSv, will have no impact on their health.*
In Niger, and in line with European and Canadian standards,
the regulations for occupational radiation exposure set the
maximum added dose at 20 mSv per year.
In 2011, average radiation exposure for employees,
subcontractors included, was 4.82 mSv at COMINAK and
2.82 mSv at SOMAÏR.
The radiation protection standards for workers in Niger are
on a par with those applied in Europe, where epidemiological
Checking dosimeter filters in SOMAÏR’s ore processing plant.
studies conducted by independent organizations over the
past twenty years have shown no significant divergence in
the overall mortality rate for uranium miners.
*By way of comparison, an abdominal scanner exposes the patient to a dose of 12 mSv.
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AREVA IN NIGER
MINING AND
THE ENVIRONMENT
An environmental management system
certified to ISO 14001 - Preservation and
sustainable management of the environment
SOMAÏR and COMINAK are the only companies in
Niger with environmental certification and among the
ten or so such companies in West Africa. Both have
environmental management systems that comply with
the ISO 14001 international standard.
They were certified by the French Quality Assurance
Association (AFAQ), respectively, in 2002 and 2003.
SOMAÏR’s certification was renewed in 2005 and 2008,
and COMINAK’s in 2006 and 2008.
As certified companies, they monitor and submit
regular reports on their environmental performance.
Vegetation around the SOMAÏR site
Radiation protection for the local population
The decree issued on January 8, 2001, calls for the application of European
regulations and sets an added dose limit for the public of 1 mSv per year.
This limit is respected around the mines and in the nearby
cities of Arlit and Akokan. The exposure of the
surrounding populations is, on average, less than 0.5
mSv per year, or the same as a chest X-ray. Values range
from 0.3 to 1 mSv in addition to natural radiation from the
environment.
The network set up to monitor radiation in the
environment and the population checks all sources of
exposure:
AIR:
There are 12 monitoring stations – three in the cities of
Arlit and Akokan, six on routes used by nomads, and three
at the surface facilities of the two mines. One of these
stations is outside the area affected by mining activities to
serve as a benchmark. About 750 measurements are
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Atmospheric monitoring station
A water sample is taken at Akokan in the environmental monitoring program
taken each year. They concern external exposure to
gamma radiation and internal exposure through the
inhalation of radon and dust particles suspended in
the air.
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AT THE AREVA MINING
SITES IN NIGER
NORTH
WATER:
SOMAIR
Samples are taken every six months to test for
Uranium 238 and Radium 226. In addition to radiation
monitoring, drinking water is also analyzed for
chemicals and bacteria (700 analyses per year).
City of Arlit
Mining and industrial area
Dosimetric monitoring
of the air
FOOD CHAIN:
Samples are taken once a year. About sixty analyses
are done to check for the presence of Radium 226,
Uranium 238, Lead 210 and Thorium 230.
Monitoring of water
at the wells
City of Akokan
SOIL:
Soil samples are taken at 56 points spaced 4 km apart
along seven sampling lines (130 analyses). These lines
radiate out from the mines over an area 500 sq. km.
Traces of radiation are localized in the mining area, as
confirmed by the airborne radiometric survey done in
2003.
Soil monitoring
Food chain
monitoring
Reference group
for nomad populations
COMINAK
Reference group
for sedentary populations
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AREVA IN NIGER
OUR APPROACH TO WATER MANAGEMENT
The illustrations below show how water is managed, from the aquifer to its final destination, for use either by the populations or
in mining operations.
Pumping from the aquifers
(e.g. the Tara aquifer)
Pumping from aquifers
(e.g. the Tarat aquifer)
Water from the dewatering
of underground and/or
open-pit mines
Control of water quality
in the aquifer
Dewatering
water
Storage in a water tower
Control of water
quality
Water from the aquifers
Storage in a water tower
Industrial zone
Water
Distribution of drinking water
in the town
Control of water
quality
Treatment of wastewater
by lagooning
Wastewater
Industrial
effluents
Storage of effluents in ponds
Recovery of water
to irrigate gardens
Evaporation
Control of water quality
Circuit for water used by the populations
Circuit for water used for mining operations
Preservation of ecosystems
At its sites in Niger, as in its other operations, AREVA does everything possible to keep the impact of its activities on the environment and
the populations “as low as reasonably achievable” (the ALARA principle).
QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE
MONITORING OF WATER RESOURCES
The monitoring of water quality in all the Group’s entities
in Niger is done through a single program called AMAN.
The results of chemical, bacteriological and radiological
analyses are made available to the stakeholders.
Good water management has been a major concern ever
since AREVA set up operations in the 1960s. Water is the
main natural resource essential both to the daily life of the
population and to the smooth running of the mining
activities. Rainfall, however, is too weak to replenish
natural water reserves.
Drilling is done during the geological exploration stage to
locate and assess the groundwater present. Agreements
on groundwater use based on hydrological models are
concluded with the government, and consumption is
monitored over time with a network of piezometers that
indicate how much water is left.
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There are several fossil water aquifers in the vicinity of the
Arlit and Akokan mining sites, but only the Tarat aquifer is
tapped for the mining operations.
As regards quantities, a precise assessment of
groundwater reserves in the Tarat aquifer is in progress. A
preliminary study done in 1968 estimated the volume at 1.3
billion cu. meters. So far, 312 million cu. meters, or 24% of
theses reserves, have been used in 40 years of mining.
In the places where the open-pit or underground mine
crosses this aquifer, water must be pumped out so that
mining can proceed in dry conditions. The water from
these “dewatering” operations is not fit for human
consumption. It is used in the mining operations, in
particular for ore processing and dampening the roads to
keep down dust.
Water outside of the mining areas is potable and can be
used for the needs of the workers, their families, and the
populations of Arlit and Akokan.
Programs to optimize water consumption have been put
in place. Consumption has been reduced through better
management of the network and initiatives that show
people how to consume water more sensibly.
The use of heap leaching to process the uranium ore is
an innovative project that optimizes water consumption in
mining operations. Introduced at the SOMAÏR mine, this
method, which reduces water consumption per tonne of
ore processed, will be employed at the IMOURAREN
mine. In association with eco-design policies, it will
ultimately reduce water consumption by 40%.
In the space of fifteen years, annual water consumption
has been reduced by 35%, while the combined
production of the mining companies has increased by
more than 33%. Today, consumption is about 8 million
cu. meters a year, with 65% of this volume going to the
communities of Arlit and Akokan.
LIMITING AIRBORNE DUST TO PRESERVE
AIR QUALITY
The blasting and operation of heavy vehicles in open-pit
mining in desert regions raises dust. Mining companies
use a variety of methods to deal with this problem, such
as dampening the roads with non-potable water, and
they monitor radiation levels of dust in the air using dust
samplers and dosimeters.
TAILINGS AND WASTE FROM MINING
OPERATIONS
Every effort is made to control waste. SOMAÏR and
COMINAK recycle reagents and hazardous materials such
as mine drainage water and oils used during mining
operations. These measures help to reduce the quantity of
waste.
Waste from mining operations, including the residue from the
processing plant, called tailings, is stored in a special
manner.
Mine tailings from the uranium extraction process come out
of the processing plant in semi-liquid form. The intense
evaporation that occurs while these tailings are stored in
heaps in a dedicated area results in the formation of an
indurate sulfate crust several centimeters thick on the
surface. This crust prevents the residue from being
dispersed by the wind. A soil monitoring network installed
around the mining sites confirms that no dispersion is
occurring.
Dampening of tracks at the SOMAÏR mine
Special areas for storing waste are set aside at the mining
sites. The tailings, for example, are placed on impermeable
layers of clayey soil. A network of piezometers is buried at a
medium depth to check that there is no infiltration into the
groundwater. Regular sampling of the deep aquifer is done
to make sure that it contains no radionuclides.
Hydrogeological drilling at Imouraren
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MANAGING THE LEGACY
OF PAST MINING
Management of waste rock and radioactive materials
In the past, materials that had no further use in the mining operations (for
example, scrap metal) and waste rock from the mining passed into the
public domain and could be reused by the local communities. These
“neighborly” practices, which were common in the mining industry in an
earlier period, have now been stopped.
Some of these materials may be weakly radioactive, but
they do not represent a serious health hazard. They did
not exceed the previous official radiation exposure limit for
the public (5 mSv a year until 2001), and very few of them
exceed the current limit of 1 mSv.
However, even if they have no health impact, AREVA has
monitored these materials for radiation more strictly since
2002 and agreed to locate and remove from the public
domain any of them that do not comply with regulatory
limits.
To do this, AREVA, in partnership with Nigerien authorities,
has begun carrying out an exhaustive check of the streets
and public areas of the mining towns. Measurements are
taken according to procedures validated by mining
Waste materials: Soil, sand and rock containing
no exploitable uranium ore or no uranium at all that
must be removed to reach the orebody.
Exhaustive checks in the streets
operators, Nigerien authorities and civil society. Teams
made up of AREVA employees, representatives of the
government and members of local associations are
continuing to carry out these measurements, which will be
extended in 2012 to certain residential buildings. When
they have finished, a report summarizing the results will be
made public.
SOMAÏR and COMINAK are also making an effort to better
protect against the theft of metal at their sites and, in
cooperation with the Ministry of Mines, are making
radiation checks at scrap metal sellers.
Planning ahead: site reclamation
studies
Since the mid-1990s and the closing of mines in France and Gabon, analyses and studies
have been done to prepare for the future reclamation of the uranium mines in Niger, even
though the deposits there still contain 15 to 20 years of reserves.
Considering the geographic location of the
two mining sites, the work is focusing in
particular on radiation monitoring, the
preservation of the potable groundwater, and
the treatment of the heaps of mine tailings.
Akouta ore processing plant, COMINAK
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In 2005, studies to assess the changing
characteristics of the tailings and methods of
covering them were begun in Niger. These are
now being followed up with practical trials,
which will contribute to the reclamation work.
In compliance with Nigerien regulations,
financial provisions are being set aside, and
the projected costs of reclamation are
continually updated.
Bi-annual local information commission meeting in Arlit
TRANSPARENCY IN MINING
AREVA has made transparency one of the key aspects of
its mining activities. In Niger, as elsewhere, the Group
communicates and holds regular discussions with
government authorities, civil society and local populations.
Information and external controls
REPORTS AND TECHNICAL AUDITS
OF MINING SITES
Economic, social and environmental data
relating to the impact of mining activities in Niger
are made public and are available in the
environmental and social reports concerning the
two mines.
AREVA also conducts or outsources audits
regularly in various areas, usually relating to
safety, health, the environment and transport.
For example, in 2004, 2005 and 2006, AREVA
asked the Institute for Radiation Protection and
Nuclear Safety (IRSN), the main French nuclear
protection agency, to carry out several audits.
The National Radiation Protection Center
(CNRP) took part in these audits of the
environmental
monitoring
system,
the
radiological impact of SOMAÏR and COMINAK,
and the quality of water distributed to the public.
The IRSN concluded that the two companies’
environmental monitoring system was generally
well structured and in compliance with
international standards and that the water
distributed to the population met the most
recent World Health Organization (WHO)
guidelines. The IRSN made suggestions for
improvements, all of which AREVA has followed.
As for regulatory compliance, inspections are
conducted by agents of the government Mining
Department and the National Center for Radiation
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Protection (CNRP), the chief radiation
watchdog in Niger. The IAEA has trained and
equipped the CNRP and reviews its work
regularly. The CNRP conducts periodic on-site
inspections and issues inspection reports.
VISITS TO THE SITES BY CIVIL
SOCIETY (NGOS AND MEDIA)
AREVA regularly receives Nigerien and
international civil society organizations that
want to know more about its mining activities
in the Arlit region.
For example, the Group has welcomed the
association SHERPA, the Nigerien Human
Rights Commission and a Nigerien
parliamentary delegation as well as members
of Greenpeace International and Greenpeace
France for visits.
National and international journalists also
come to the mining sites when press visits
are organized or when they are preparing
special reports.
In May 2012, some thirty Nigerien journalists
from local and national media visited the
mining sites in a program aiming at informing
them about the extractive industries.
AREVA received representatives of Greenpeace in Niger from November 2 to 4, 2009
Organizing the dialogue with the local stakeholders
As part of the expansion of the Group’s activities in Niger, AREVA and its partners have set up several structures for communication
and dialogue.
BILATERAL STEERING COUNCILS
Created in May 2006 to allow more discussion of
community projects that AREVA would finance, the
Bilateral Steering Councils (CBO) are made up of AREVA
representatives, local elected officials, and representatives
of the government and civil society. The Councils meet
regularly (four times in 2009, twice in 2011) to define the
local development policy, determine priority areas for
action, offer an opinion on projects, and, after defining
procedures and criteria, ensure that there is a fair and
balanced allocation of facilities among the towns and the
larger community in the region.
LOCAL INFORMATION COMMISSIONS
AREVA has been organizing Local Information
Commissions (CIL) since 2005. Representatives from the
mining companies give reports on their industrial and
environmental performance to local stakeholders
(prefecture, town halls, traditional leaders, NGOs,
representatives of socio-professional groups, etc.).
At these meetings, information concerning health, safety,
the environment, social impact and industrial
performance and issues related to local development is
presented and discussed. Water and air analyses receive
a lot of attention.
These meetings are held twice a year. The last CIL took
place at Arlit from December 13 to 15, 2011.
MINING PROJECTS AND PUBLIC
HEARINGS
A Social and Environmental Impact Study is done for any
new mining project planned by AREVA (Imouraren, heap
leaching at SOMAÏR, the Grand Artois project, etc.).
A Local Information Commission meeting
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This document lays out the social and environment
aspects of the future project (development of
neighboring communities, baseline conditions, air, water,
soil, climate, risks to health, plants and wildlife, etc.) and
describes with complete transparency the positive and
negative consequences of the project. It also presents
mitigation and compensation measures planned by
AREVA to ensure that the project’s impact is as small as
possible.
The impact studies are submitted to authorities and
presented to the local populations at public hearings.
They must be approved at a validation workshop
attended by experts from AREVA and the Nigerien
government, members of civil society, and
representatives of the public administrations.
PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE
In February 2008, AREVA opened a Public Information
Office (BIP) at Niamey (Immeuble SONARA 1, Place Rond
Point Kennedy, BP 11 858). The public is invited to come
there to get information about the Group’s activities and
the prospects they offer for the future.
The opening of a new BIP at Arlit and Imouraren is
planned in the months ahead.
“AREVA IN NIGER” WEBSITE
AREVA has set up a website for its operations in Niger
(www.niger.areva.com). The aim is to get government
offices, civil society and all other stakeholders more
involved in the information and communications activities
related to the mining companies.
Validation workshop for the Imouraren project in Niger
A meeting with the NGO Ikewane
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AREVA IN NIGER
MINING, a source
of economic and
social development
AREVA has an ambitious
social policy in Niger and
has invested more than
€10 million in development
projects there in the past two
years. The Group puts its
substantial resources to work in
the areas of health, education and
economic development. It also
provides the Nigerien people with
assistance when emergency
situations arise.
In partnership with the community of Arlit, the AREVA
Foundation has contributed to the creation of a municipal
library in the city
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LOCAL ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT
Giving priority to local employment and
the transfer of skills
The 2,600 employees of AREVA in Niger are the
direct or indirect source of livelihood for over
100,000 people.
Nigeriens hold more than 98 percent of the jobs. The
presence of fifty or so expatriate managers facilitates
the transfer of knowledge and skills.
The senior-level Nigerien managers have been trained
at engineering schools in Africa, North America or
France and at the Group’s mining sites. Since their
creation, the mining companies have had in-house
training centers to supplement the training received in
schools and other outside institutions. AREVA also
initiated the creation at Agadez of a training school,
the EMAIR, for technicians and mine foremen.
To promote the transfer and development of skills,
AREVA offers Nigerien managers positions with high
levels of responsibility in other foreign subsidiaries in
France, Canada, Namibia, the Central African
Republic and other countries.
A future heavy equipment operator for IMOURAREN SA
trains on a simulator
Economic impact and financial benefits
Uranium is a key resource for Niger. It is the leading export commodity, accounting for a substantial part of the country’s GDP and
providing tax revenues. Mining activities in uranium made up nearly 10 percent of GDP in 2011 and have represented more than 70
percent of exports for over five years (73 percent in 2011).
Each year, the Group pays nearly €40 million in taxes,
dividends and charges to the Nigerien state on top of its
annual payroll of almost €30 million.
In 2011, more than 30 percent of the Group’s purchases
for its mining operations in Niger were made from local
suppliers, an additional contribution to the Nigerien
economy of almost €150 million.
Also, as a shareholder in the mining companies, the
Nigerien government takes a quantity of uranium
proportional to its equity interest, which it can then
market in accordance with international regulations.
The COMINAK production facilities
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Purchase price of uranium
The purchase price of the uranium produced by SOMAÏR and COMINAK is set by agreement among the companies’
shareholders and in particular the Niger government. It varies chiefly according to long-term market prices.
During the 1985-2003 period, when world
market prices for uranium remained weak,
AREVA and the other shareholders did not
react as other producers did. Instead, they
continued to mine Niger’s uranium while
agreeing to long-term (10-year) purchase
contracts at prices well above market levels.
Periodically,
new
negotiations
were
conducted between Niger and the mining
companies’ shareholders.
When signs of a recovery appeared in 2004,
the purchase prices were renegotiated with
the Niger government for the 2005–2007
period on the basis of market trends at that
time. AREVA agreed to pay a higher price in
line with the market even though it had
commitments at lower prices with its
customers.
In 2007, a sustained rise in short-term
uranium prices was observed, and this trend
was taken into account in the AREVA–Niger
partnership with another increase, applied
retroactively to January 1.
In 2011, following a sharp increase in the
uranium spot price related to the speculative
bubble in 2010, Niger obtained a 27 percent
increase (equivalent to FCFA 70,000 per
kilogram of uranate).
A barrel of uranate powder (UO4)
In 2012, despite a slowdown in the uranium
market related to the accident at the
Fukushima nuclear power plant, an increase
in the purchase price was negotiated and
stated for the first time in a hard currency.
Niger can now resell a kilogram of uranate for
€111.29 (FCFA 73,000).
Encouraging co-development
By helping people with very limited financial resources to undertake
projects of their own, microfinance is proving to be an effective way of
fighting poverty.
Promoting local economic activity at Arlit, a city of 80,000
people in northern Niger, is a major concern of AREVA.
and make use of the resources available in the Imouraren
area (targeted hiring and training of Nigeriens by the
subcontractors). This strategy will contribute to the
development of income-generating activities as well as a
permanent industrial and commercial fabric in the regions
concerned.
The Group is partnering in several private initiatives aimed at
aiding the population, including one to give people access
to microfinance. In 2007, AREVA helped to set up a branch
of the Crédit Mutuel du Niger at Arlit, which opened its
doors in June 2008.
In conjunction with construction work for the new Imouraren
mine, AREVA also began a study in 2010 that looked at
ways to expand the capabilities of small and medium-size
Nigerien companies, at the possibilities for subcontracting
to companies there, and at ways to promote local
economic development around the project site.
A three-year program with a total budget of €2.3 million will
be carried out the construction phase for the mine. It is
aimed at implementing an effective strategy to promote
local employment, develop the surrounding communities,
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A microfinance office has been opened at Arlit
with support from the AREVA Foundation at a branch
of the Crédit Mutuel du Niger
The SOMAÏR hospital
STRENGTHENING
THE HEALTH SYSTEM
The mine hospitals
The AREVA mining sites are located in a desert region, near the cities
of Arlit and Akokan, which have between 100,000 and 125,000
inhabitants. SOMAÏR and COMINAK employ almost 2,350 people
from these two communities. When their families are included (with
an average of eight children per family), it makes a total of some
20,000 people with a connection to the mines.
The mining companies provide free medical care
to employees and their families. AREVA is thus
applying the same policy as it did previously for
its miners in France. As part of this policy,
SOMAÏR and COMINAK have built and now
manage two hospitals located, respectively, at
Arlit and Akokan.
These facilities provide most kinds of medical
care (surgery, maternity, dental, ORL,
ophthalmology, etc.), and their laboratories can
perform the necessary medical analyses. In
particular, the COMINAK laboratory can do
hemograms and biochemical tests, tumor
marker, thyroid hormone and reproduction tests,
serology for hepatitis B and C, emergency
cardiological examinations as well as other types
of tests.
The Group’s medical facilities have been audited
by two specialized, independent organizations,
Quanta Medical and GISPE, whose report
published in 2007 confirmed the good quality of
healthcare provided by them.
AREVA spends more than €1 million a year on
the Arlit and Akokan hospitals, whose combined
annual budget exceeds €4.5 million (payroll,
medicines, medical services).
The COMINAK hospital in the town of Akouta
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The two hospitals have a total of 151 beds and are
open to the rest of the population.
One-third of consultations and more than 50 percent of
major medical acts or surgery are provided to the
population in general, meaning that Arlit and its
surrounding area are among the places with the best
healthcare in Niger.
Statistical data for the mine hospitals are regularly
transmitted to the Health Department of the Arlit district
and to the National Health Information Department of
Niger’s Public Health Ministry. An analysis of these data
does not reveal any new illnesses or statistics that
diverge from those of other districts in the region.
ANNUAL HEALTHCARE FIGURES FOR THE
SOMAÏR AND COMINAK HOSPITALS (2011)
120,657
Nurse consultations
32,758
Doctor consultations
4,747
Minor surgeries
1,113
Major surgeries
696
Baby deliveries
The SOMAÏR hospital
Health Observatories:
a unique program benefiting former workers and populations
living near the mines
A first in the industrial sector anywhere in the world, the Health Observatories program is the outcome of an innovative, multiparty,
scientific initiative involving AREVA, governments and NGOs. The Health Observatories will make it possible to determine whether the
presence of the uranium mines operated by AREVA have any impact on health and to communicate that information with complete
transparency to former employees, the populations around the mines, and authorities.
Initiated in March 2007, this unique health monitoring
system will be implemented at all AREVA-operated mining
sites. Introduced first in Gabon, in October 2010, the
program was extended to Niger in December 2011 with the
opening of a Health Observatory for the Agadez region.
The Health Observatories perform their function by:
monitoring former employees who were exposed to
uranium. This is done by scheduling a medical visit
(clinical examination, chest X-ray for workers exposed
to uranium ore, blood tests, etc.) every two years;
monitoring health in communities around the mines.
Analysis of independent and scientific data (medical
records concerning observed illnesses, hospital
reports, studies, etc.) will make it possible to
determine whether, in comparison with other regions
of the countries in question, health conditions for the
population deteriorate, are stable, or improve
because of the proximity of uranium mines.
In addition to monitoring health around the mining
sites, the Health Observatory will carry out a Health
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Impact Study around the Imouraren site to establish
a health benchmark before mining begins to enable
an assessment of any effects that the mining activity
may have.
The COMINAK hospital at Akokan
In partnership with the Urban Community of Arlit, the AREVA Foundation contributed to the creation of a municipal library at Arlit
SUPPORTING EDUCATION
FOR EVERYONE
Support for primary and secondary education
Support for education has always been a priority in the social
assistance that AREVA provides in Niger.
This support goes chiefly to primary and
secondary education. AREVA helps to finance
schools in Arlit and the surrounding area
(construction of buildings, equipment, schooling
for the children of the nomad population, etc.),
with investments totaling nearly €470,000
between 2006 and 2008.
In 2011, AREVA contributed to the preparation
and distribution of 5,000 mathematics manuals for
middle school students in the Agadez region.
AREVA paid for the renovation of the School for
General Education at Akokan
Support for higher education
AREVA also supports higher education for Nigeriens through two scholarship programs.
One is for high school graduates from
disadvantaged backgrounds who have been
accepted to the Mining and Geology School
(EMIG) in Niamey. The other is a special program
that enables top high school graduates in Niger
to study in France. A total of nearly €1 million has
been spent in these programs since they were
begun in late 2006.
AREVA has also partnered with the Urban
Community of Arlit to help create a library, which
was inaugurated in the first half of 2008. The
Group paid for the purchase of 19,000 books
and other documents, furniture, and training for
the librarians as well as related facilities. AREVA
also signed an agreement with the Niger
government in early 2012 for the creation of an
industrial resources occupational training
institute (IFRI-Niger) that will ultimately award 300
training diplomas a year.
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DEVELOPMENT OF
INFRASTRUCTURES
Facilitating access to water
After locating and developing aquifers, the two mining companies have produced and supplied drinking water to Arlit and Akokan
for over 40 years.
The mining companies have a well-drilling system
enabling them to supply water to the entire population of
Arlit. Originally designed to satisfy the needs of fewer
than one thousand people back in 1968 (the year
SOMAÏR was created), today it provides water to
between 100,000 and 125,000 people. Besides
supplying water to their personnel and their families,
SOMAÏR and COMINAK meet the needs of the two cities
through a system in which it sells water to a Nigerien
water company (Société d’Exploitation des Eaux du
Niger – SEEN) that distributes water in Arlit. The water is
sold to the company at cost price for distribution in the
city and provided free of charge to the most
impoverished segments of the population at public
standpipes.
The mining companies also periodically provide
assistance in well drilling, water extraction and the
planting of market gardening crops. In 2011, AREVA
paid for the supply and installation of six tanks for
drinking water in neighborhoods on the outskirts of Arlit,
and also contributed to the Improved Tropical Gardens
pilot project at Arlit.
The Group is also studying the construction of minidams in the dry streambeds along the western edge of
the Air Mountains. These structures would hold back
rainwater longer, thereby allowing the alluvial
groundwater system tapped by the wells to be better
replenished.
In September 2009, AREVA allocated €458,000 to help
the victims of floods caused by torrential rains in several
communities in the Agadez region. The Group also
matched the contributions of employees in Niger who
were helping to pay for reconstruction projects carried
out by local groups.
Tanks for drinking water have been installed
on the outskirts of Arlit
Extending access to energy
AREVA is helping to finance a large-scale electrification project in the city of Arlit that
will benefit some 50,000 people. This project, for which the community is the
contracting authority, is an excellent example of a collective undertaking involving a
partnership of entities from the public sector, the private sector (AREVA), and civil
society (the NGOs Droit à l’Energie and SOS futur).
A local tradesman who benefits from the
electrification program at Arlit
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The project consists in extending the
medium- and low-voltage network into
four neighborhoods on the outskirts of the
town, chosen not only for the size of their
populations, but also for their economic
vitality. The project got under way in 2008
and is being completed at the present
time. AREVA is providing €247,500 in
funding for the undertaking, which is being
carried out in partnership with a Niger
group set up to defend people’s right to
energy (CODDAE) and a French
association (Droit à l’Energie), which has
the same aim.
Developing the road network
AREVA’s presence in Niger enabled the construction between 1978
and 1980 of a 685-km paved road between Tahoua and Arlit.
This road opens up the region by connecting it to
the West African road network and also provides
a link between southern Niger and the Agadez
and Arlit regions.
This project was followed up by the construction
of a road between Arlit and Akokan and work on
streets in Arlit. Begun in late 2009, these projects
received a total of €4.5 million in financing.
Construction of the Arlit-Akokan road
EMERGENCY AID
PROGRAMS
The fight against food insecurity
AREVA is partnering with other organizations that provide technical and
financial assistance to support a national program begun in 2006 to combat
food insecurity.
As part of this effort, AREVA is spending €17 million in a
project to extend the cultivable land area through
irrigation, thus opening up an additional 5,000 hectares for
farming.
This decision came after aid was provided in 2005 to cope
with a serious grain shortage. At that time, the Group gave
over €470,000, with additional donations from local
employees, to purchase food as well as nutritional
supplements (Plumpy’nut) for children. Special food aid
was also supplied to nomads with livestock in the remote
areas of the Agadez region.
In 2010, AREVA responded to the Niger government’s
appeals for assistance to deal with a food crisis
threatening 7.8 million people. The Group supplied relief
worth a total of more than €1 million to the worst affected
regions (Tahoua, Maradi, Zinder and Diffa).
Rounding out this aid in provisions and animal feed was a
special program to provide ready-to-use therapeutic
foods and medicines to centers that care for under-
Plumpy’nut: a ready-to-eat, peanut-based paste of high nutritional
value that is specifically formulated to feed children during famines. It
was invented by the French scientist André Briend in the late 1990s.
Soil restoration project in the rural township of Tebaram,
November 2011
nourished children (Centres de Récupération Nutritionnelle
et Infantile – CRENI).
In 2011, AREVA helped to fund a soil restoration project in
northern Niger that will aid in the fight against food
shortages.
AREVA also partners with the French Red Cross (CRF) in
initiatives aimed at strengthening food security in the
Zinder region. Its contribution of €330,000 will help 2,000
households.
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AREVA supplies solutions for
power generation with less carbon. Its
expertise and unwavering insistence on safety,
security, transparency and ethics are setting the
standard, and its responsible development is
anchored in a process of continuous improvement.
Ranked first in the global nuclear power industry, AREVA’s
unique integrated offering to utilities covers every stage of
the fuel cycle, nuclear reactor design and construction, and
related services. The group is also expanding in renewable
energies – wind, solar, bioenergies, hydrogen and storage –
to be one of the leaders in this sector worldwide.
With these two major offers, AREVA’s 48,000 employees
are helping to supply ever safer, cleaner and more
economical energy to the greatest number of people.
Energy is our future, don’t waste it!
Design and Production: Bleu Cerise – Photos: © AREVA – May 2012
www.areva.com
AREVA Mining Niger
Address: Immeuble SONARA 1, Place du Rond Point Kennedy BP 11 858, Niamey - Republic of Niger - Tel.: (+227) 20 72 39 27
www.areva.com