Creation Areva was created on 3 April 2001 by the
merger of Framatome (later: Areva NP, now: Framatome),
Cogema (later: Areva NC, now:
Orano Cycle) and Technicatome (later: Areva TA, now: Technicatome). It was based on the structure of its precursor, CEA-Industrie.
Anne Lauvergeon became its first CEO.
Jean-Pierre Raffarin, the former
Prime Minister of France, announced the privatization of Areva in 2003, but it was postponed several times, the French government opting finally for the privatization of GDF and EDF. At the end of October 2005, French Prime Minister
Dominique de Villepin announced that he had suspended the privatization process. In 2003, Areva secured a contract for the
Olkiluoto 3 project, which foresaw construction of the
third generation EPR-type
pressurised water reactor. In 2004 a contracted fixed price was established as €3.2 billion. In 2004, Areva acquired
Alstom's transmission and distribution activities, which became Areva T&D. It was sold back to Alstom and
Schneider Electric in June 2010. On 15 September 2005, Areva and
Constellation Energy of Baltimore announced a
joint venture called UniStar Nuclear to market the commercial EPR in the United States. The joint venture later became
UniStar Nuclear Energy in 2007. In 2010, EDF acquired 100% of UniStar Nuclear Energy. However these plans failed to come to fruition, and in February 2015 Areva suspended the EPR Design Certification Application Review process at the U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). In 2006, Areva created its renewable energies business group. Creusot Forge and Creusot Mécanique merged into the Areva group, even though there were quality concerns over Creusot Forge's work. In 2007, Areva purchased 51% of offshore
wind turbine manufacturer Multibrid. Multibrid has been a start-up and German offshore wind pioneer, producing wind turbines in Bremerhaven. The innovative M5000 wind turbine has a compact medium speed drive train and carbon rotor blades. The patented air treatment to prevent corrosion was unique. The turbine was designed by
aerodyn Energiesysteme GmbH. In 2015 the renewable unit of Areva changed into ADWEN GmbH. In June 2010, Areva purchased the remaining 49% and formed
Areva Wind. In February 2010, Areva bought Ausra, and renamed it
Areva Solar. In 2007, Areva purchased UraMin, which later became Areva Resources Southern Africa (now part of Orano). In 2007, Areva started construction of the
Flamanville 3 EPR reactor. In addition, in November 2007 Areva agreed to an €8 billion deal with the
China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group to supply them with two EPRs for
Taishan Nuclear Power Plant. Under the terms of the agreement, Areva also had to help operate the plant, including the reprocessing of spent fuel. Also in 2007, Areva and
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries created a joint venture named
Atmea to develop a 1,100 MWe Atmea-1 pressurised water reactor (
Generation III reactor). In 2009,
Siemens sold its remaining shares of Areva NP and Arvea NP became wholly owned by Areva. The project was later cancelled. Also in 2008, Areva was awarded an operations contract to clean up the
Sellafield nuclear reprocessing site as part of the Nuclear Management Partners consortium, made up of URS, Amec and Areva. In June 2008, Areva reached an agreement with
Kazatomprom to create a joint-venture Katco. On 4 February 2009, Areva signed a memorandum to supply two to six nuclear reactors to the
Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited for the
Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project in the Indian state of Maharashtra. In March 2010, Areva indicated work was being done on a new type of
burner reactor type capable of breaking down
actinides created as a product of
nuclear fission. In 2011, Areva was listed on the
Euronext stock exchange in Paris.
Post-Fukushima problems In December 2011, Areva suspended building work at several sites in France, Africa and the United States, one day after forecasting a €1.6 billion ($2.1 billion) loss. Areva halted "capacity extensions" at its
La Hague Reprocessing Plant, in northern France, at its Melox factory in the southwest, and at two sites attached to its Tricastin power plant in the south. Work has also stopped on extensions to uranium mines in
Bakouma in the Central African Republic,
Trekkopje in Namibia, and Ryst Kuil in South Africa, and caused a potential delay in construction until a capital solution is secured for the
Eagle Rock Enrichment Facility in the United States. Areva wrote off most of the $2.5 billion purchase cost of Canadian uranium mining company Uramin, purchased in 2007, after concluding that its uranium ore deposits were of negligible value. In September 2014
Standard & Poor's stated it might downgrade Areva's credit rating following weak first-half results, leading to Areva indicating it would cut capital spending and dispose of some assets. In March 2015 Standard & Poor's further downgraded Areva's credit rating to BB− after Areva posted a €4.8 billion loss for 2014. In 2012, Areva acquired the hydrogen technology developer ''Compagnie européenne des technologies de l'hydrogène
(CETH) and renamed it Areva H2Gen. In the same year, it inaugurated a hydrogen storage system called the MYRTE platform near Ajaccio, Corsica (MYRTE is the French acronym for Mission Hydrogène Renouvelable pour l’intégration au réseau électrique''). The system aims to establish the feasibility of a storage solution for
solar energy using hydrogen technologies, which would serve as a back-up system to stabilize Corsica's power grid. In August 2014, Areva exited the solar industry. In October 2013, Areva won a $2.7 billion contract to supply two EPR nuclear reactors with nuclear steam supply and control systems at the
Hinkley Point C plant in
Somerset, England. It will also provide uranium extraction and enrichment for the fuel fabrication stage. In December 2013, Areva and
China General Nuclear Power (CGN) agreed to a partnership in renewable energy, with a focus on offshore wind, biomass, concentrated solar power, and energy storage. In October 2014, CEO Luc Oursel took a leave of absence for health reasons. On 20 November 2014 Standard & Poor's downgraded Areva long-term debt to BB+ and short-term-debt to A-3. In May 2014, Areva, through its subsidiary CETH2, and the ADEME (French Environment and Energy Management Agency), announced the creation of the AREVA H2-Gen joint venture. In December 2015 operations at
Le Creusot Forge were stopped following a discovery at the
Flamanville Nuclear Power Plant. About 400 large steel forgings manufactured by Le Creusot Forge since 1965 found to have carbon-content irregularities that weakened the steel. A widespread programme of reactor checks was started involving a progressive programme of reactor shutdowns. This caused power price increases in Europe as France increased electricity imports, especially from Germany, to augment supply. In December 2016 international inspectors found evidence of recent doctored paperwork, which had not been detected by Areva's independent quality control checks. In April 2017
Autorité de sûreté nucléaire (ASN) published the requirements for forging to resume at Le Creusot Forge.
Restructuring In June 2016 Areva's restructuring plans were made public, including the sale of the majority of its reactor business to EDF in 2017, excluding the
Olkiluoto 3 EPR under construction in Finland which will remain with Areva SA. In December 2017, Areva and EDF signed agreements on the transfer of Areva NP's nuclear reactor operations. As part of the restructuring plan, Areva created a new fuel cycle company, dubbed as New Co or New Areva. The new company combined Areva Mines,
Areva NC, Areva Projects, and Areva Business Support companies. In January 2017, Areva sold its stake in the wind turbine manufacturer Adwen. In March 2017, Areva sold its nuclear propulsion and research reactor subsidiary Areva TA to ''
Agence des Participations de l'Etat''. ==Current operations==