Our commitment

 Energy from expertise

Develop and harness best-in-breed technologies to anticipate customer needs and increase our cost-competitiveness while complying with nuclear safety, occupational safety and environmental protection requirements.


Main objectives

 Devise an eco-design plan for nuclear fuel based on life cycle analysis and R&D projects  
 Pursue and reinforce our actions in the field of renewable energies.

Some carried out actions 

 Development of renewable energies
Since 2004, AREVA has been reflecting on the development of solutions for electricity production through non CO2 emitting energies.

In 2006, the group created the Renewable Energies business unit, which focuses on 3 main themes: 
 wind power
 biomass: the group has designed and installed turnkey biomass plants in Brazil and India
 fuel cells: AREVA intends to develop this clean, silent, highly energy-efficient technology in the safety and public transport sectors.

  Widely instituting the eco-design initiative
Within the group's Transmission & Distribution operations, core activities focus on:
 limiting the use of hazardous substances
 defining and formalizing end-of-life and waste recycling procedures
 cutting back on of SF6 emissions - sulfur hexafluoride, 1 of the 6 greenhouse gases.

Since early 2006, several pilot actions have been launched:
 the Engineering business unit has applied the eco-design methodology to the COMURHEX plant modernization project 
 following the revision of the uranium life cycle according to ISO 14040 standards, a nuclear fuel eco-design plan was launched in 2006.

 Research and development programs
Thanks to its efforts in this area, AREVA targets:
 the safety and reliability of its facilities
 greater energy efficiency
 cost reductions
 final waste minimization
 natural resources conservation
 future generations of nuclear systems.

To achieve this, the group is focusing on 7 key areas:
 stepped-up efforts in uranium exploration
 acquisition of ultracentrifuge technology
 improvement of fuel performance levels
 EPR licensing in different countries
 studies for a Generation III treatment and recycling plant
 ultra-high voltage transmission technologies
 solutions for smart power grids.

A figure   

 669 million euros, or 62% of sales revenue: the investment made by the group in research and development in 2006.