Areva faces three major challenges as it turns itself around from its record 2014 losses, company CEO Philippe Knoche said today.

French utility EDF has put back the start up date of the EPR unit under construction at Flamanville by about one year while the cost of the project has now tripled from its original estimate.

EDF has agreed to take a stake of at least 51% in Areva's reactor business, according to a memorandum of understanding signed by the two companies yesterday that sets out the principal terms and conditions of the plan.

France's National Assembly yesterday gave final approval of the country's energy transition bill. Under the legislation, France's reliance on nuclear energy will be reduced to 50% of power generation by 2025.

A number of agreements were signed yesterday between Chinese and French nuclear energy companies aimed at strengthening their cooperation in the nuclear fuel cycle and power reactors.

Saudi Arabia and France signed three nuclear-related cooperation agreements in Paris on 24 June. One is to carry out a feasibility study for the construction of two power reactors in the Middle Eastern country.

The French nuclear regulator has given EDF permission to operate unit 3 of its four-unit Tricastin nuclear power plant in southern France for a further ten years.

The French government has backed a plan for EDF to take a majority stake in Areva's reactor business as part of a revitalization of the country's nuclear power industry. Areva NP would then operate as a separate company.

The first European-supplied components have been delivered to the construction site of the Iter project at Cadarache in southern France. The large tanks were produced in Spain and will be part of the fusion reactor's water detritiation system.

French engineering company Areva has for the first time signed a contract with Energoatom for the supply of enriched uranium to be used at Ukraine's nuclear power reactors. The first batches will be delivered in 2015.

Areva announced yesterday that it is conducting additional studies on the quality of forged components and the quality processes at its Le Creusot facility in Burgundy. It plans an external review of areas related to forging and inspections.

Work is continuing at the construction site of an EPR unit at Flamanville in northern France, French utility EDF said yesterday. Preparations are underway to conduct further tests on the unit's vessel after anomalies were identified in the composition of the steel in certain parts of it.