By Laetitia Bachelot-FontaineNov 7, 2007
PARIS (Dow Jones) French nuclear group Areva (CEI.FR) will build its first evolutionary power reactor, or EPR, in the U.S. in 2010, Chief Executive Anne Lauvergeon said Wednesday on French radio station BFM.
"There are 103 EPRs in the U.S. but none have been built by a European company. We hope to start our first EPR in the U.S. in 2010," Lauvergeon said.
She added that Areva already had six pre-orders in the US and that the group was currently in negotiations with several electricity power producers.
"Areva's ambitions in the U.S. are very big," Lauvergeon said, adding that "things are also going really quickly in Asia."
Lauvergeon confirmed she will take part in French President Nicolas Sarkozy's visit to China at the end of November.
Areva is expected to announce a EUR5 billion contract with China Guangdong Nuclear Power Co. for the sale of two reactors.
The French government is currently reviewing the future of French nuclear power operations, including those of Areva.
The scenario favored by French state-owned nuclear research organization CEA is a merger between the nuclear firm and French engineering company Alstom SA (1022047.FR)
At present, the French state owns 87% of Areva, while Germany's Siemens AG has a 34% stake in the firm's nuclear reactor unit Areva-NP.
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(Photo below: Areva head Lauvergeon)
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