Areva Np history

By the beginning of 1960, only two bids remained in contention; in the middle of the year, Framatome received informal permission to begin the design work on the Chooz reactor.

A formal contract was signed in September 1961 for Framatome to deliver a turnkey system, that is, not only the reactor, but an entire, ready-to-use system of piping, cabling, supports, and other auxiliary systems, propelling Framatome from a nuclear engineering firm to an industrial contractor.

About 400 large steel forgings manufactured by Le Creusot Forge since 1965 found to have carbon-content irregularities that weakened the steel.

The Chooz 1 reactor went critical in October 1966 and was attached to the French electric system in April of the following year.

By 1969, the company received a new boost: the French military had successfully built a uranium enriching plant, freeing the light water reactor technology from dependence on United States or Soviet Union supplies of the material.

Framatome won the first of these contracts, for 16 plants, in 1974.

On August 4, 1975, the nod went to PWR and Framatome.

In 1976, Framatome was awarded the second multi-year contract, this time for ten reactors.

The nuclear power industry hit a bump in 1979 with the accident at Three Mile Island.

By 1981, Framatome employed some 5,000; the following year, its engineering staff alone numbered 5,000 employees.

In 1982, its license contract with Westinghouse expired, allowing Framatome to develop its own in-house specifications for the first time.

The company had taken a step in its eventual direction in 1987 when it had acquired a stake in the connectors business of Souriau.

In 1988, Framatome saw its chance.

The company acquired full control of Souriau, as well as two other French connectors companies, Burndy and Jupiter, and in 1989 formed its Framatome Connectors International (FCI) subsidiary.

One of Areva's subsidiaries, Euriware (founded in 1991) was specialized in consulting and IT services and employs 2,200 people.

Chooz 1 went back on line after two years of repair work and continued to operate without incident until 1993, when it was shut down.

Meanwhile, contracts to build nuclear power plants in China helped spike Framatome's revenues to nearly FRF 20 billion in 1994.

With no new reactor contracts on the table in 1995, however, sales slipped back to FRF 17.9 billion.

"Trente-huit Ans d'Affrontements," Le Monde, September 2, 1996.

Gonnot, François Michel, "Framatome: Union Libre ou Mariage Forcé?" Le Monde, January 21, 1997.

Gallois, Dominique, "Framatome et Siemens créent le premier pole mondial dans le nucléaire," Le Monde, December 7, 1999.

By 2000, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission had begun to renew licenses for the country's original postwar crop of reactors, adding 20 years to their original 40-year terms.

In January 2001 Framatome's nuclear business merged with that of Siemens AG to form Framatome ANP (Advanced Nuclear Power). Framatome was the dominant shareholder, with a 66 percent stake.

In 2002, during its first public appearance, in Lorient, France, the "Defi Areva" yacht collided with a dinghy carrying four Greenpeace protesters, and the impact knocked a hole in the side of the 80-foot boat.[103][104]

In 2003, AREVA announced Finnish utility TVO (Teollisuuden Voima Oy) would be the first client for the third-generation EPR (European pressurized water reactor) it had been developing with Siemens.

In 2004 a contracted fixed price was established as €3.2 billion.

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.

In 2006, Areva created its renewable energies business group.

In addition, in November 2007 Areva agreed to a €8 billion deal with the China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group to supply them with two EPRs for Taishan Nuclear Power Plant.

On 6 May 2008, Areva announced that it would seek all necessary approval to build an enrichment facility in Bonneville County, Idaho.

In 2009, Areva NP acquired 30% stake in the Mitsubishi Nuclear Fuel company.

In June 2010, Areva purchased the remaining 49% and formed Areva Wind.

In 2011, Areva was listed at the Euronext stock exchange in Paris.

On 24 June 2012, an armed group assaulted a uranium plant operated by Areva at Bakouma in the southeast of the Central African Republic.

As of the end of 2013, 8,555 people worked for Areva's front end business group.

In October 2014, CEO Luc Oursel took a leave of absence for health reasons.

In December 2015 operations at Le Creusot Forge were stopped following a discovery at the Flamanville Nuclear Power Plant.

Approximately a year and a half ago, in March 2016, LTBR stated that it entered into a "Joint Development Agreement" (JDA) with Areva NP, a US subsidiary of Areva.

In April 2017 Autorité de sûreté nucléaire (ASN) published the requirements for forging to resume at Le Creusot Forge.

The current plan of both Lightbridge and AREVA NP is to sign the JV Operating Agreement in the fourth quarter of this year and launch the JV in early January of 2018, soon after the closing of EDF's acquisition of AREVA NP.

As of 2019, Areva S.A. is responsible only for the liabilities related to the Olkiluoto 3 project.