AREVA: A new stage in the construction work on the EPR in China: completion of the installation of the heavy components at Taishan 1

Regulatory News:

During her visit today to the Taishan nuclear site (in Guangdong province), Mrs Nicole Bricq, the French Minister for Foreign Trade, accompanied by Luc Oursel, Chairman of AREVA’s Executive Board, and Henri Proglio, Chairman and CEO of EDF, was able to see for herself the progress made in the construction work on the two EPR reactors in China, carried out by the owner and future operator of the site, the Taishan Nuclear Power Joint Venture Company (TNPJVC), a 30% stake in which belongs to EDF, and the rest to CGNPC.

The building site for the 1^st reactor has entered a significant new stage with the completion of the work installing the reactor vessel and the installation of four steam generators and the pressurizer inside the reactor building.

The two EPR reactors currently being built in Taishan are benefiting from the lessons learned at EPR reactor sites in Finland and France; the welding work on the primary circuit¹ was completed 30% quicker than at the Olkiluoto 3 site.

It is also thanks to the relationships forged since the start of the project with the Flamanville 3 site, and the way that French and Chinese skills have complemented each other, that the time between the first concrete being poured and the installation of the dome was cut to just 24 months.

Before the installation phase, the lessons learned from experience also helped to reduce the time taken to build the four steam generators, in France by 40% compared to those having been built for other EPR reactors, making the French nuclear industry more competitive.

At the end of the tour of the site, Luc Oursel announced: "The completion of the installation of the heavy components is a major step forward in the construction of the first EPR reactor in China. Completed in just 38 months from the time the first concrete was poured, this shows that the work is being done in excellent conditions, and that it is benefiting from the experience that we have gained at other EPR sites as well as the quality of the partnership with CGNPC. I am delighted that the Minister has been able to see the progress of the construction work.”

Henri Proglio announced: "The installation of the heavy components at Taishan reactor no. 1 demonstrates the extent to which 2012 was a year full of major progress for the EPR site in China. Of course we owe this to the balanced collaboration between the French and the Chinese”.

¹ The primary circuit of the EPR reactor is made up of 4 identical loops connected to the vessel, each one including a steam generator, a pump and the associated pipes.

ABOUT THE COMPANIES

The EDF Group, one of the leaders in the European energy market, is an integrated energy company active in all areas of the business: generation, transmission, distribution, energy supply and trading. The Group is the leading electricity producer in Europe. In France, it has mainly nuclear and hydraulic production facilities where 96.5% of the electricity output is CO₂-free.

EDF’s transmission and distribution subsidiaries in France operate 1,285,000 km of low and medium voltage overhead and underground electricity lines and around 100,000 km of high and very high voltage networks. The Group is involved in supplying energy and services to approximately 27.9 million customers in France. The Group generated consolidated sales of € 65.3 billion in 2011, of which 43.1% was achieved outside of France. EDF is listed on the Paris Stock Exchange and is a member of the CAC 40 index.

AREVA supplies its clients with solutions for power generation with lower carbon emissions. The Group’s expertise and unwavering insistence on safety, security, transparency and ethics are setting the standard, and its responsible development is anchored in a process of continuous improvement. Ranked first in the global nuclear power industry, AREVA’s unique integrated offering to providers of electricity covers every stage of the fuel cycle, nuclear reactor design and construction, and related services. The group is also expanding their activity in renewable energies – wind, solar, bioenergies, hydrogen and storage – to become one of the top three worldwide, in this sector. With these two major offers, AREVA’s 48,000 employees are helping to supply ever safer, cleaner and more economical energy to the greatest number of people.