France and China strengthen nuclear bond
A state visit has seen Areva, EDF and China Guangdong Nuclear Power Corporation (CGNPC) sign a three-way agreement for further cooperation.
The statement of cooperation cements relationships between two of the world's biggest generators of nuclear power and the provider of the technology on which their power plants are based. With 73 units in France and the UK, EDF remains the world's largest nuclear utility, whereas CGNPC has seven reactors in operation now, 17 under construction and more planned for the future. Most of these are pressurized water reactors with Areva origins.
The three companies are also working together to build and bring online CGNPC's new EPR units at Taishan. On that project they "reaffirmed their willingness to successfully complete the construction... and to carry out a successful start of their commercial operation. This will also set the stage for an effective development of future reactors." More generally EDF and Areva will contribute to "the improvement of safety, maintenance and performance at CGNPC's reactors in operation, and to the evolution of its fleet."
The statement continues a relationship begun with the development of the Daya Bay nuclear power plant, majority owned by CGNPC with equity held by China Light and Power of Hong Kong. The reactors there are essentially the same as the three-loop models deployed across France. Built by Framatome, which is now part of Areva, international cooperation saw EDF assist with construction and operation in the early 1990s.
Luc Oursel, Henri Proglio and He Yu signed the cooperation deal on behalf of Areva, EDF and CGNPC repectively. This took palce in Beijing yesterday during President Francois Hollande's state visit to China.
Researched and written
by World Nuclear News
