BERLIN, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Environmental groups said on Thursday that boosting energy production from German nuclear power plants would not decrease dependency on Russian energy.

       Energy imports would only be shifted from gas to nuclear, since Europe is largely dependent on uranium supplies from Russia, said a report by Friends of the Earth Germany (BUND) and other environmental organizations. Together with Kazakhstan, Russia provides around 40 percent of European imports of uranium.

       Russia's state-owned Rosatom is the world's second-largest uranium producer, accounting for around 15 percent of global production, according to BUND. Meanwhile, Rosatom provides more than a third of the global demand for enriched uranium for the operation of nuclear power plants.

       One kilowatt-hour of electricity produced in Germany with solar and wind power only costs three to four euro cents, the report says, while nuclear power will become increasingly expensive.

       "Renewables are now cheaper than coal, gas or nuclear plants," said Heinz Smital, nuclear campaigner for Greenpeace.