Ayrault China: Areva won a series of contracts

The French nuclear giant Areva announced Monday, Dec. 9 , have signed a series of agreements with its Chinese partners on the occasion of the visit to China by Prime Minister Jean -Marc Ayrault . No amount has been specified by the company.

A first agreement , in consortium with Siemens, is for the supply of control systems , control China Nuclear Power Engineering , a subsidiary of China National Nuclear Corporation ( CNNC ) to equip two reactors of the Chinese central Fuqing , whose work begin in 2014 and 2015.

The French and the NCS group also signed a letter of intent on creating a joint venture to build a China manufacturing and processing of zirconium alloys needed to produce material of nuclear fuel assemblies . The company could produce for the Chinese market, up to 600 tons of zirconium alloys per year by 2017 , said the French group.

CGN and Areva also signed a cooperation agreement to identify business opportunities in offshore wind , biomass , solar thermal concentration and energy storage. It is in the area of ​​offshore wind that the two groups work together first. These agreements " support the development of nuclear and renewable energy in China , while strengthening the group's presence in markets that create jobs in France and China ," said a statement from the CEO of Areva Luc Oursel .

Two new tranches of EPR ? "For the Chinese decide "

Jean- Marc Ayrault assured him Sunday that France was "ready" if Beijing decides to build two new EPRs in Taishan ( southern China ), where French and Chinese are building the first two reactors of this type on the one of the largest nuclear projects in the world. " Here China has chosen to build new nuclear units [ units 1 and 2 , Ed] and perhaps , if the government decides, Units 3 and 4. Anyway, France is ready there ," he said the Prime Minister at the beginning of his visit to Taishan , near the banks of the South China Sea .

The site 1 and 2 for the TNPJVC supervisor , a joint venture 51% owned by the Chinese utility CGNPC nuclear , 30 % by EDF and since 2012, the electrician Yuedian Guangdong ( Canton Province ) . Construction of Taishan 1 and 2 represents an investment of € 6 billion and employs some 15,000 people.

Asked what will be the decision of the Chinese authorities for Units 3 and 4 , Jean- Marc Ayrault was very cautious - "It's the Chinese to decide " - but he welcomed the " extremely climate positive, very promising " Franco- Chinese relations , " which bodes well for the visit of Chinese President "Xi Jinping, " next spring in France . "

Comments that are meant confident after a relocation of one of the objectives was precisely to prepare the forthcoming visit of Chinese President in Paris for the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations.

This is not a business trip , "the EDF CEO Henri Proglio, who provided not only the side of the Prime Minister " to force the hand of a Chinese " political decision.

Nevertheless, the issue of Units 3 and 4 has indeed been raised "repeatedly " by Jean- Marc Ayrault to the President and Chinese Premier Xi Jinping and Li Kiqiang , said the Minister of Productive Recovery Arnaud Montebourg, who accompanied the Prime Minister throughout his journey.

" Victory made ​​in France "

" This is an issue on the table of our diplomatic and political relations. It is better that I did not say more," said the minister , not drying up of praise for the current EPR site , " a victory Made in France and Made in China " . " The French , has he added , should know that this type of site [ allows ] create jobs in France . It creates in China and France ."

" The industrial logic would dictate that they are the same models that are built on the same site ," said Hervé Machenaud for its part , EDF Asia Pacific Director, on Units 3 and 4. " But it depends [ . ..] what is the evolution of the technological choice of China to that point . "

The beginning of the visit of Jean-Marc Ayrault Thursday coincided with the announcement of the green light by the Chinese authorities in a joint venture between Renault and the Chinese automaker Dongfeng . This gave an opportunity for the Prime Minister to call the French industrial groups including motor for sale "brand France " on the world market , especially knowing better meet the "needs of consumers" in the world.

Sunday pulling a record of his journey , the Prime Minister said he was " confirmed " by its meetings and on-site observations , describing the Chinese people " prudent and pragmatic ." "When you're here, you do not have the impression that France is a small country," he was welcomed deploring the " declinist speech " of some France . "I sometimes wish he confided yesterday, we spoke with much pride and patriotism of the French companies and their workers " whose skills are recognized on the international market .

Jean- Marc Ayrault will return Monday afternoon in Paris , cutting short his visit of a few hours, for logistical reasons , President Hollande to leave that night for South Africa with the same plane, does was indicated at Matignon . The French head of state to attend the national ceremony Tuesday in honor of Nelson Mandela at Soccer City stadium in Soweto , suburban Johannesburg.