Plants

The Plants business unit designs, builds and starts up nuclear islands (nuclear steam supply systems, reactors, etc.), which are the elements that make up a nuclear power plant.

The business unit also supplies monitoring systems and engineering services in order to upgrade existing reactors and to improve their performance.

With 100,000 MWe of installed power and some 100 reactors in service, the group has built 100 of the 303 light water nuclear reactors in service worldwide.

The business unit offers a complete range of “Generation III+” reactors:

The EPR: a large-power pressurized water reactor (PWR) in the range of 1,600+ MWe, under construction in Finland, in France and in China, in project in the United-States and the United-Kingdom.

The EPR is the only Generation III+ reactor under construction in the world. It offers significant performance gain, high level of security, simplified operation and maintenance, reduction in uranium consumption, and waste production.

The ATMEA1: a mid-sized Generation III+ pressurized water reactor (PWR) in the range of 1,100+ MWe, under development in partnership with Mitsubishi Heavy.

The SWR (temporary name): a cutting-edge boiling-water reactor (BWR) in the range of 1,250+ MWe. Together with the EPR and ATMEA1, this Generation III+ reactor is currently regarded as offering maximum safety for the use of nuclear power.

The business unit also supplies “Generation II” reactors that are better suited to some customers' requirements, as well as research reactors for the research community.

Customers

The Plants business unit’s main customers are the managing teams of nuclear power plants.

In Finland, the Olkiluoto 3 project plans to build an EPR 1,600+ MWe for TVO, to function at a sustained rate. The implementation of the power station is projected for 2012.

In France, EDF has chosen the AREVA EPR for its Flamanville site. The construction of the nuclear island began in December 2007.

In November 2007, AREVA formed a nuclear civil sector landmark partnership with the Chinese electricity company China Guangdong Nuclear Power Corporation (CGNPC). AREVA is to construct two EPR nuclear islands with CGNPC and will supply all necessary materials and services for 15 years.

In December 2007 in the USA, the Plants business unit submitted the certification document to the NRC (National Regulatory Commission) for its ‘US EPR’ reactor. The first EPR in the USA is expected to be put into service in 2015.

The precertification of the United Kingdom EPR began in August 2007 in conjunction with AREVA and EDF when the reactor design was submitted to the British Regulatory Commission.

The business unit is to act as services provider for AtomStroyexport (ASE) in Bulgaria, designated to supply a range of systems to the Belene power plant (command control, electrical systems and ventilation systems).

Locations

The Plants business unit is present in France, in Germany and in the USA.

Some of the business unit’s teams are on temporary assignment with customers worldwide.

The Plants business unit also has its own advanced technology development and testing capabilities, with facilities at its technical centers in Karlstein and Erlangen, Germany, and in Le Creusot and Chalon, France.

Within the AREVA group, Plants operations are handled by AREVA NP.