Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire: Areva

Showing posts with label Areva. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Japanese Restrictions Could Threaten French Reactor Sale to India from GSN Daily News

Japanese restrictions on atomic trade with India could complicate plans for France to construct a new atomic power facility in the South Asian state, the head of the French nuclear firm Areva said yesterday (see GSN, March 13, 2008).
The company's design for the planned two-reactor atomic plant at Jaitapur calls for the use of "extra large forgings" available only from Japan, the Times of India quoted a diplomatic source as saying.
Areva chief operating officer Luc Orsel said the firm could find ways around the complication. However, he still urged India to conclude "a bilateral agreement" with Japan on civilian nuclear trade (see GSN, Nov. 15, 2010)
New Delhi and Tokyo have conducted multiple rounds of talks on a potential atomic trade deal. Japan, though, is said to have mandated Indian nonproliferation assurances considered more substantive than what the nuclear-armed South Asian nation accepted in its 2008 atomic trade deal with the United States. Tokyo wants India to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, according to previous reports.
Japan has also called on New Delhi to join the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, according to the Times (Ashis Ray, Times of India, Jan. 12).

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Kuwait boosts stake in French nuclear giant Areva

Paris (AFP) Dec 11, 2010 Areva on Saturday approved a 900-million-euro (1.17 billion dollars) capital hike under which the Kuwait Investment Authority will hold nearly five percent stake in the French nuclear giant. The recapitalisation values the strategically important Areva at 11.5 billion euros, of which the Kuwaiti fund (KIA) will now control 4.8 percent.
"The group's supervisory board, meeting today under the chairmanship of Jean-Cyril Spinetta, examined and approved the launch of a reserved capital increase of 900 million euros, representing 7.2 percent of its share capital at the completion of the transaction," a statement said.
It said Kuwait would supply two-thirds of the capital hike and the French state the remaining third at 300 million euros.
Areva said its outlook for 2012 included a revenue of 12 billion euros and "a double-digit operating margin."
The French government holds 93 percent of Areva -- set up in 2001 -- and discussions about attracting other investors, including Qatar and Japan's Mitsubishi, have been underway for some time.
Areva's repeatedly delayed capital increase is aimed at funding its investment plans through to 2012 and had to be concluded by the end of the year.
Talks foundered with Qatar and Mitsubishi, a major player in nuclear power generation, meaning the French state had to contribute 300 million euros to the recapitalisation in order to make the end of year deadline.
Besides building nuclear power plants, Areva last year emerged as the world's largest miner of uranium, offering a complete range of services across the sector from fuel to energy production.

Mitsubishi to produce nuclear fuel in US with AREVA

http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/Mitsubishi_to_produce_nuclear_fuel_in_US_with_AREVA_999.html Tokyo (AFP) Dec 14, 2010 Japan's Mitsubishi Nuclear Fuel Co. said Tuesday it had established a 50-50 venture in the United States with French industrial group AREVA to produce nuclear fuel for pressurised water reactors. The new company, named US Nuclear Fuel and located in AREVA's plant in Richland, Washington state, aims to start production in the second half of this decade, Mitsubishi Nuclear Fuel said in a press release.
Seventy percent of Mitsubishi Nuclear Fuel is owned by the Mitsubishi group and 30 percent by AREVA.
US Nuclear Fuel will produce fuel for advanced pressurised water reactors to be supplied by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to nuclear power plants in the United States, the statement said.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Kuwait boosts stake in French nuclear giant Areva

http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/Kuwait_boosts_stake_in_French_nuclear_giant_Areva_999.html Paris (AFP) Dec 11, 2010 Areva on Saturday approved a 900-million-euro (1.17 billion dollars) capital hike under which the Kuwait Investment Authority will hold nearly five percent stake in the French nuclear giant. The recapitalisation values the strategically important Areva at 11.5 billion euros, of which the Kuwaiti fund (KIA) will now control 4.8 percent.
"The group's supervisory board, meeting today under the chairmanship of Jean-Cyril Spinetta, examined and approved the launch of a reserved capital increase of 900 million euros, representing 7.2 percent of its share capital at the completion of the transaction," a statement said.
It said Kuwait would supply two-thirds of the capital hike and the French state the remaining third at 300 million euros.
Areva said its outlook for 2012 included a revenue of 12 billion euros and "a double-digit operating margin."
The French government holds 93 percent of Areva -- set up in 2001 -- and discussions about attracting other investors, including Qatar and Japan's Mitsubishi, have been underway for some time.
Areva's repeatedly delayed capital increase is aimed at funding its investment plans through to 2012 and had to be concluded by the end of the year.
Talks foundered with Qatar and Mitsubishi, a major player in nuclear power generation, meaning the French state had to contribute 300 million euros to the recapitalisation in order to make the end of year deadline.
Besides building nuclear power plants, Areva last year emerged as the world's largest miner of uranium, offering a complete range of services across the sector from fuel to energy production.

Mitsubishi to produce nuclear fuel in US with AREVA

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Mini nuclear reactors Thinking small Nuclear power: Combining several small reactors based on simple, proven designs could be a better approach than building big ones

Dec 9th 2010 | from PRINT EDITION

WHEN the two big nuclear reactors under construction at Flamanville in France and Olkiluoto in Finland come on stream, each will boast enough electricity-generating capacity to light up a city of 1.5m. But despite the best efforts of EDF and Areva, which are building the reactors, both are behind schedule and, at over $5 billion apiece, well over budget. With results like these, it is little wonder that the vaunted “nuclear renaissance” has failed to materialise. In fact, the number of operating reactors is in decline, spurring the nuclear-power industry to look for new approaches. Rather than relying on huge, traditional reactors costing billions, it is turning to small, inexpensive ones, many of which are based on proven designs from nuclear submarines or warships.
A global race is under way to develop small-reactor designs, says Paul Genoa of the Nuclear Energy Institute, an industry body in Washington, DC. He estimates that more than 20 countries have expressed serious interest in buying mini-reactors.
At least eight different approaches are being developed, mainly in America and Asia, by an army of 3,000 nuclear engineers, according to Ron Moleschi of SNC-Lavalin Nuclear, an engineering firm based in Montreal. Regulatory and licensing procedures are lengthy, so little will be built until around 2017, he says. But after that the industry is expected to take off. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) estimates that by 2030 at least 40 (and possibly more than 90) small reactors will be in operation. It reckons that more than half of the countries that will build nuclear plants in coming years will plump for these smaller, simpler designs. More at:

http://www.economist.com/node/17647651?story_id=17647651&fsrc=rss

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

The French affair

The agreement on building nuclear power reactors was always going to be the centrepiece of President Nicholas Sarkozy's visit to India. France was quick off the mark to conclude a civilian nuclear agreement with India in 2008; and the framework agreement signed between the French nuclear firm Areva and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India to build two of the six planned reactors in Maharashtra was an outcome of this. Some issues relating to the proposed $9.3 billion deal need to be ironed out; these relate to Indian safety and cost concerns over Areva's advanced but yet-to-be-proven EPR reactors as well as French discomfort with the civilian nuclear liability legislation recently adopted by the Indian Parliament. While nuclear commerce will be an important new component of the bilateral relationship, Mr. Sarkozy's visit gave both countries an opportunity to come closer on a broad range of bilateral and global issues. The full-throated reaffirmation of French support for India's permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council has been warmly received. The resolve to enhance bilateral cooperation in the G20 to make it an effective tool for overhauling the international monetary system and for stabilising commodity prices, and to work together in international forums on issues such as Afghanistan, terrorism, and climate change are indicators of deepening political ties. At least in principle, all this should help India achieve a better balance in external relations, which are at present seriously distorted by strategic over-dependence on the United States and a lack of clear commitment to a multi-polar world order.
More at:
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/article939983.ece

Monday, December 6, 2010

French enrichment plant to close in 2012 from World Nuclear News by Warwick Pipe

The Eurodif gaseous diffusion uranium enrichment plant will operate until the end of 2012 under a newly concluded agreement between Areva and Electricite de France (EdF) that sets the operating conditions for a gradual transition from production at the old plant to the new Georges Besse II centrifuge enrichment plant. The long-awaited agreement, reached under a joint strategic framework between the two companies, will see the 10.8 million SWU Eurodif plant start operating at its minimum technical capacity as soon as possible. The agreement will see EdF supply the plant's electricity for the next two years and also enables EdF to supply an additional 1000 MW of electricity to its customers over that period and guarantees a further 2000 MW beyond that date. The first stage of the first unit of Georges Besse II began operating at the end of 2009 and the second is due to start production in 2011, although the two units are not scheduled to reach full capacity until 2015 and 2016 respectively. Both groups expressed their delight that "a solution has been found to ensure the smooth transition between Eurodif and the Georges Besse II enrichment plant."
http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/IT-French_enrichment_plant_to_close_in_2012-0612107.html

Sunday, December 5, 2010

India racing to buy an untried reactor?

The EPR is still a reactor in the making, whose design is likely to undergo serious modification before it can be built as a series.

The announcement last week by the Finnish utility TVO of yet another year-long delay in the construction of the new Areva European Pressurised Reactor/Evolutionary Power Reactor (EPR) being built at Olkiluoto in southern Finland has re-launched the controversy surrounding the world's biggest, most expensive and as yet untried nuclear reactor.

India is slated to purchase up to six of these reactors, of which the first two alone carry an estimated price tag of €11 billion. A memorandum of understanding for the sale of two EPRs was signed in 2009 and there are chances that a framework agreement will be signed during French President Nicolas Sarkozy's working visit to India which began on December 4. More at:

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/article933910.ece?homepage=true

Thursday, December 2, 2010

China Nuclear Boom Sees Reactor Builders Risk Know-how for Cash

What brought the Chinese to the Hyatt on Nov. 24 and 25 was a hunger for the latest technology, Bloomberg Businessweek reports in its Dec. 6 issue. What brought the foreigners was money: According to Michael Kruse, consultant on nuclear systems for Arthur D. Little, the Chinese are ready to spend $511 billion to build up to 245 reactors.More at link:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-02/china-nuclear-boom-sees-reactor-builders-risk-know-how-for-cash.html

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Keeping up with China: The Economic Advantage of Molten Salt Nuclear Technology

Last Friday, Brian Wang called attention to a Boomberg's article on Chinese nuclear cost. The Bloomberg's story reported that the French designed EPR would cost 40% less to build in China that in Europe:

Areva SA said the EPR nuclear reactor costs 3 billion euros ($4 billion) to build in China, 40 percent less than the price tag Electricite de France SA has put on building one in Normandy.

Nuclear Townhall, on the 26th, called attention to the competitiveness of both the Chinese and the Russian Nuclear Industries. In addition to Russia and China, Nuclear Green has repeatedly called attention to the cost competitiveness of South Korea, and Indian nuclear technologies. The Indians especially are following a will charted path to an innovative low cost nuclear future.

American and European nuclear development can either proceed by following the cost lowering paths being pioneered in Asia, or begin to develop low cost innovative nuclear plans. Since low labor costs, represent the most significant Chinese and Indian cost advantage, it is unlikely that European and American reactor manufacturers will be able to compete with the Asians on labor costs. Labor costs for conventional reactors can be lowered by factory construction of reactor componant moduels, but the Chinese are clearly ahead of the West in that game. Yet the weakness of the Chinese system is the relatively large amount of field labor that the manufacture of large reactors requires.

The Chines system is to introduce labor saving devices where ever and when ever possible, but clearly shifting labor from the field to a factory still offers cost advantages. The more labor which can be performed in the factory, the more labor cost savings are possible. Other savings advantages are possible by simplifying reactor design, and lowering materials input. Building a reactor with less materials and fewer parts lowers nuclear costs directly and indirectly. Decreasing core size per unit of power output also can contribute a cost advantage. Direct saving relate to the cost of parts and matetials, but fewer parts and less material also means less labor is required to put things together, since there is less to put together. In addition a small reactor core structure, would, all other things being equal, require a smaller housing. Larger cores mean more structural housing expenses. More at:

http://theenergycollective.com/charlesbarton/47933/keeping-china-economic-advantage-molten-salt-nuclear-technology

Sunday, November 28, 2010

China Builds Nuclear Reactor for 40% Less Than Cost in France, Areva Says

http://nextbigfuture.com/2010/11/china-builds-nuclear-reactor-for-40.html

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Areva SA said the EPR (1700MWe) nuclear reactor costs 3 billion euros ($4 billion) to build in China, 40 percent less than the price tag Electricite de France SA has put on building one in Normandy.

Chinese nuclear builders’ grasp of the technology is “very worrying” for European companies, Areva Chief Executive Officer Anne Lauvergeon told a hearing at the French Senate today in Paris. She also said Chinese companies are more efficient.

I translate "very worrying" by the CEO of the French nuclear company as "Areva will be toast when China starts exporting". China 40% price advantage is for Areva most advance 1700 MWe version. China has even more price advantage for the 1000MWe version of the 900MWe french reactor.

Talks on developing two more of the reactors in China in addition to two already under construction are “near completion,” Lauvergeon said. Areva is also in the final stages of negotiating the sale of two EPRs in India, plus a nuclear fuel contract, she said.

Nuclear Townhall talks about China nuclear advantage and Russian plans.

China and Russia have agreed to drop the U.S. dollar in their bi-lateral trade, and China has revealed ambitious plans to start exporting reactors by 2013 and develop an integral fast breeder program that will complete its nuclear fuel cycle.

All this has extraordinarily implications for America’s economic future. Approximately 40 percent of the dollar’s value comes from its use as the world’s international currency. Yet inflation and U.S. debt have eroded that value and China and Russia are catching on. If the world follows their lead in dropping the dollar, every American will lose 40 percent of his or her net worth overnight.

Chinese technicians have already reversed-engineered Areva 900-MW reactors built at Daya Bay into the CPR-1000 and have 16 under construction, the first scheduled to open next September. Zhang said that once certain intellectual property issues are cleared up with Areva, Guangdong would begin exporting, probably by 2013. Chinese engineers are already doing the same thing with the Westinghouse AP1000 as well.

State-run EDF has a 30 percent stake in Taishan Nuclear Power Joint Venture Co. to develop and operate two 1,700- megawatt EPRs with China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group. Areva, also run by the government, is supplying components.

Construction of Taishan 1 began in November 2009 while Taishan 2 started in April. The reactors are expected to start at the end of 2013 and 2014, according to EDF.

The EPR being developed in Finland will take 86 months to complete due to the country’s “very demanding regulator and a complicated” client, Lauvergeon said. The Flamanville reactor in Normandy will take 71 months while Taishan 1 and 2 are targeting 46 months, she said.

Taishan 1 is on schedule and Taishan 2 is ahead, according to Lauvergeon. Progress at Taishan is being kept six months behind Flamanville deliberately in order to benefits from experience

India nuclear plant with French reactors gets green go-ahead

http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/India_nuclear_plant_with_French_reactors_gets_green_go-ahead_999.html

New Delhi (AFP) Nov 28, 2010 India on Sunday gave environmental clearance for a nuclear power plant to be built in collaboration with French firm Areva, days ahead of President Nicolas Sarkozy's scheduled visit to New Delhi. Environment minister Jairam Ramesh said the go-ahead for the Jaitapur plant in Maharashtra state, which will use nuclear reactors supplied by Areva, was granted with 35 conditions and safeguards.
"From an environmental point of view, nuclear energy is a cleaner option than coal," Ramesh said in a press release, adding that he has called for further studies into the power station's potential environmental impact.
A 34-year-old embargo on civilian nuclear exchanges with India, imposed in 1974 following a series of Indian nuclear tests, was lifted in 2008 after years of negotiations between India and the United States.
France has since signed an agreement with India covering nuclear energy cooperation, while Russia has also signed a similar accord.
The power station will be situated in the coastal region of Maharashtra, home to India's financial capital of Mumbai, and has faced protests from locals and anti-nuclear activists.
Ramesh said nuclear energy accounted for about 2.9 percent of India's energy generation, and the government wanted to increase the figure to six percent by 2020 and possibly 13 percent by 2030.
Some local media reported that Areva and the Indian state-run Nuclear Power Corporation (NPC) would sign the agreement during Sarkozy's trip to Delhi.
The French president's itinerary has yet to be confirmed but he is expected to arrive in India at the end of next week.
The NPC predicts the first reactor, costing an estimated four to six billion euros (5.3-7.9 billion dollars) will be commissioned in 2017-18.
The proposed project will eventually have six reactors generating 1,650 megawatts each. It has several more government regulatory hurdles to overcome before being given the final go-ahead.
India is dependent on oil imports for 70 percent of its fast-expanding energy needs, and is on the hunt for new sources to fuel its rapid growth.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Areva head says Mitsubishi Heavy might buy small stake

Image via WikipediaJapanese group Mitsubishi Heavy Industries could buy 2.0 percent of French nuclear engineering group Areva, marking a "strong symbolic" move, head of Areva Anne Lauvergeon said on Friday. Lauvergeon told French BFM radio: "If they take a small shareholding in Areva of about 2.0 percent, that would be something symbolically strong for future alliances."
But this outlook was not at all on the scale of the links between French auto group Renault and Nissan of Japan, she said.
Areva, a world leader in building nuclear power stations, which is controlled by the French state, announced in June last year that it would open up 15 percent of its capital.
In July this year the French presidential office said that this would happen by the end of 2010.
Sovereign wealth funds in Qatar and Kuwait, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries have been mentioned as likely shareholders.
On Thursday, Patrick Kron, head of the French industrial group Alstom which also builds power stations, said that he saw any entry of MHI into Areva as seriously problematic because the Japanese company was a direct competitor for Alstom.
Lauvergeon acknowledged that Alstom and MHI competed in building turbines, but played down the impact of any shareholder agreement for sales of turbines by Alstom.http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/Areva_head_says_Mitsubishi_Heavy_might_buy_small_stake_999.html

EDF Reactor Design Unlikely To Succeed

The Calvert Cliffs-3 nuclear facility.

by Staff Writers Washington DC (SPX) Nov 15, 2010 Even if it is propped up with extensive government subsidies or full cost-recovery from ratepayers, the "Evolutionary Power Reactor" (EPR) - which the French government-controlled utility, Electricite de France (EDF) plans to deliver for the troubled Calvert Cliffs-3 project and other sites in the United States - is "in crisis" to such a severe extent that it is likely to be an economic failure, according to a new report released by University of Greenwich Professor of Energy Studies Stephen Thomas. The Thomas report findings have special resonance in the U.S. given EDF's attempt to salvage the Calvert Cliffs-3 nuclear reactor project, which is considered a leading candidate for U.S. loan guarantees backed by American taxpayers.
In addition to Calvert Cliffs-3 in Maryland, the EPR was selected as the reactor design in the U.S. for Bell Bend in Pennsylvania, Nine Mile Point in New York and Callaway in Missouri (latter two applications currently suspended).
Commenting on the new report, Professor Thomas said: "From a business point of view, the right course for EDF and Areva seems clear. They must cut their losses and abandon the EPR now. In the short-term this will require some painful write-offs, for example, of investments in the UK and the USA, but in the long-term, the losses will be much greater if they continue to try to make the EPR work.
"Areva's main business is its reactor servicing and fuel activities and these would be little affected by the abandonment of the EPR. EDF already has too much nuclear generating capacity in France, so not ordering more reactors will save it from unnecessary capital expenditure at a time when it acknowledges its debts are too high."
As for recent moves by EDF in the U.S. market, the Thomas report notes: "While the political wrangling about how much Congress will be prepared to allow the US DOE to offer in loan guarantees, the deteriorating prospective economics for new nuclear reactors and the economic risk they pose to their owners may mean that relatively few loan guarantees are granted.
"The projects most likely to go ahead are those with the 'belt and braces' of Federal loan guarantees and a state regulatory body that commits to allowing the utility to recover its costs from consumers. Calvert Cliffs and Bell Bend would be exposed to the PJM electricity market and therefore could expect no support from the state regulator. If the Calvert Cliffs project does collapse and an existing project, such as Bell Bend cannot be brought in to replace it, it is hard to see how the EPR could survive in the USA."
The Thomas report draws the following major conclusions:
+ Construction has "gone dramatically wrong" at both of the sites in Europe where the EPR is currently being built. As Thomas notes: "The two sites in Europe where EPR is under construction, Olkiluoto and Flamanville, have gone dramatically wrong from the start of construction. It might have been argued that the problems at Olkiluoto were due to the lack of experience of the utility and the inexperience of Areva NP in carrying out the architect engineering. However, the fact that EDF, the most experienced nuclear utility in the world seems to be doing no better at Flamanville suggests the main problems are more related to the build-ability of the design itself than to specific issues at Olkiluoto."
+ The price at which the EPR is being offered is so high that all contests in which the EPR has been bid have either been abandoned (South Africa and Canada) or the contract has gone to a much lower bid from a competitor (UAE). In the report, Thomas explains: "As early as 1995 and again in 1997, there were concerns about the cost of the EPR then expected to be US$2000/kW but when other vendors began to claim they could build plants for US$1000/kW, [Areva] seems to have felt obliged to follow suit. While it did not claim US$1000/kW was possible, it did claim reactors could be built for less than US$1500/kW in 1998 and 2001, less than a quarter of the prices it is now offering a decade later. At US$6000/kW or more, it seems unlikely that EPR will be affordable except where huge public subsidies are offered and/or there is a strong likelihood of full cost recovery from consumers, no matter what the cost is."
+ Potential markets such as the USA, UK and Italy all look problematic. Reactor orders, if placed at all, will be much later than expected. The Thomas report explains: "As the reality of these high costs hits home, it is likely that even markets in which government support for new nuclear orders has been strongest, such as the USA and UK, will find it difficult to support the costs."
+ The process of obtaining safety approval in France, UK and the USA is incomplete and, even if successful, the features needed to achieve regulatory approval may add significantly to costs. The Thomas report points out: "The intuitively plausible notion that a new generation of nuclear reactors, starting without a blank sheet of paper could easily come up with a more rational and cheaper, yet safer design of reactor has been shown to be an illusion by the lengthy and still incomplete process of gaining safety approval. The Finnish and French authorities' decision to allow construction to start before full generic approval had been given looks particularly ill-judged."
+ Professor Thomas said: "From a political point of view, France has invested so much political and financial capital in being the world leader in nuclear technology, such a decision to abandon the design will be politically too painful until it becomes unavoidable. However, for the governments of countries like the USA and the UK, which have invested little political capital in the French nuclear dream, the sensible course is clear: stop all investment of public money in the doomed EPR technology."
Professor Thomas is the author of "Areva and EDF: Business Prospects and Risks in Nuclear Energy" (March 2009) and the co-author of "The Financial Crisis and Nuclear Power" (February 2009). He has been a researcher in energy policy for more than 25 years. Professor Thomas writes particularly on economics and policy towards nuclear power, liberalization and privatization of the electricity and gas industries and trade policy on network energy industries. He is a member of the editorial boards of: Energy Policy; Utility Policy; Energy and Environment; and International Journal of Regulation and Governance.http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/EDF_Reactor_Design_Unlikely_To_Succeed_999.html

Sunday, November 14, 2010

France, China to form nuclear power partnership

France, China agree to build reactors in common
* China signs $20 bln of business contracts in France

PARIS, Nov 4 (Reuters) - France and China have agreed to form a strategic partnership in civilian nuclear power that ranges from building reactors in common to exploiting uranium mines, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Thursday.
His announcement came after a meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao, in France for a three-day visit, and the signing of a slew of business deals including a $3.5 billion contract with energy firm Areva CEFPi.PA to supply 20,000 tonnes of uranium.
The partnership marks the coming together of French expertise in civilian nuclear power -- France is overwhelmingly dependent on nuclear energy -- and China's insatiable appetite for cheap energy to fuel its economic growth.
"We have decided to work without limits on a strategic collaboration in the nuclear domain that will go much farther on the full spectrum of nuclear activity," Sarkozy said in a speech after a deal-signing ceremony in the presidential palace.
The two countries will work on nuclear reactors, fuel recycling and uranium extraction and will consider selling the products of their collaboration to third parties, he added. More at:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLDE6A32MF20101104

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Areva to announce major Chinese contracts: report

Paris (AFP) Nov 1, 2010 French nuclear energy giant Areva is expected to announce a number of major Chinese contracts during President Hu Jintao's state visit to France this week, Les Echos business daily reported. The group will sign a deal worth three billion dollars to supply nuclear fuel to China Guangdong Nuclear Power Corp (CGNPC), Les Echos reported in its Tuesday edition.
This would see the French firm supply 20,000 tonnes of uranium over the next 10 years, the report said.
Areva will also likely announce progress in negotiations with CGNPC over the construction of two new-generation nuclear reactors, the newspaper said, without citing sources.
Areva may also resume negotiations with the China National Nuclear Corporation over the construction of a nuclear reprocessing facility, it added.
Hu's visit starting Thursday is expected to focus on economic issues and include a series of deals in the aerospace and environmental technology sectors.

Monday, October 25, 2010

South Korea: A rising Nuclear star

from Pimagazine Asia news feed

In January, a South Korean consortium beat the world's biggest nuclear plant builder, France's Areva, to win a US$20-billion ($26-billion) contract to supply four reactors to the United Arab Emirates. It was South Korea's first overseas order. In 20 years' time, South Korea aims to become the world's third-largest nuclear plant exporter. Currently, France, the US, Canada, Japan and Russia are the biggest exporters of atomic generators. What are the secrets to South Korea's nuclear success thus far? According to Mr Scott Peterson, a spokesman for the Nuclear Energy Institute, a key to South Korea's success is using standardised reactors. The country's use of "the same reactor design since 1985" has contributed to its "reducing the time for construction - from 64 months in 1995, to 47 months now, and South Korea is aiming for 39 months", said Mr Peter-son. It has also reduced construction cost by 30 per cent, he added. In its bold expansion plans, "the best chance for South Korea will come in new nuclear countries, for example Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and Middle East countries", Mr Steve Kidd, director of strategy and research at the World Nuclear Association, said in an interview early this year. Venessa Lee

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Latest Qinshan unit goes commercial

Qinshan Phase II unit 3 has become China's 13th nuclear unit to enter commercial operation, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) has announced.

China currently boasts some 23 reactors under construction, mostly of indigenous design but also including four Westinghouse AP1000s at Sanmen and Haiyang, and two Areva EPRs at Taishan. Construction is pencilled in to start on many more over the next few years.

http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NN-Latest_Qinshan_unit_goes_commercial-2210108.html

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Renewed TVA projects could spark business for Areva, B&W

Two utilities have commenced groundwork for reactors located in Georgia and South Carolina, which is an indicator that the development of new facilities is not delayed, said Mitch Singer, a spokesman for the Nuclear Energy Institute. These projects could secure approval from federal and state regulators during 2011, Singer added. The News & Advance (Lynchburg, Va.)