Where does the uranium for the Beznau and Leibstadt nuclear power plants come from?

In 2022 Russia attacked Ukraine. In response, Axpo moved quickly to diversify its supply chain. Thanks to strategic reserves, the fuel supply for Leibstadt (KKL) and Beznau (KKB) has not depended on Russian sources since 2022 and in 2025, new contracts were signed.

Below are answers to the most important questions.
 

What was the situation before the invasion of Ukraine?
Axpo Power AG held a contract for the delivery of fuel assemblies for Beznau with Framatome GmbH (Germany). Framatome GmbH is the German subsidiary of the French company Framatome. Uranium from Russian sources was processed under that supply chain.
The Leibstadt plant received around half of its uranium from Russian sources and the other half from a Western European supplier. These contracts were concluded long before Russia’s aggression, in some cases before 2014.

What did Axpo do after the invasion?
Immediately after the start of Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine in 2022, Axpo decided group-wide not to enter into new contracts with Russian suppliers and to terminate existing contracts where feasible. This policy applies not only to uranium but to all contractual relationships.
Leibstadt stopped sourcing uranium from Russia as soon as this was possible after the invasion. Axpo continued to source uranium from Framatome for Beznau.

To date there are no sanctions in the nuclear sector against Russian suppliers. Why does this matter?

Sanctions would have allowed Axpo to handle the Framatome contract for Beznau differently — to suspend or terminate it — without risking substantial damages. Such payments would ultimately have benefited Russia and harmed Axpo’s shareholders (the cantons and their residents). For that reason, Axpo chose not to suspend or terminate the contract, but immediately began intensive negotiations to establish new contracts that do not involve Russian suppliers.
Important: Since 2022 KKB and KKL have not been dependent on deliveries from Russian suppliers or subcontractors because, first, they held strategic reserves and, second, new contracts were concluded in 2025. In other words, there has been no dependence on Russian sources since 2022 and none today.

Was Axpo able to conclude new contracts?
Yes. In February 2025, after extensive and complex negotiations, Axpo concluded new fuel procurement contracts with uranium producers in Canada and Kazakhstan, deliberately diversifying the supply chain. The procured uranium is further processed in several countries: France, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.
The agreements with Kazatomprom do not create financial flows to Russia or to Russian parties.

What is the situation today?
Since 2022 KKB and KKL have not relied on deliveries from Russian suppliers or subcontractors: they have strategic reserves and new contracts were signed in 2025. There are currently no deliveries from Russia. The contract with Framatome mentioned above has been adjusted.
KKB and KKL still hold reserves that include uranium from Russian sources. The plants will continue to use this material because it is already in their inventories; not using it would both jeopardize Switzerland’s security of supply and cause financial harm to Axpo’s shareholders (the cantons and their residents).