FRAMATOME ANP INC. history

In 1958, several companies of French industrial giant the Schneider Group joined with Empain, Merlin Gérin, and the American Westinghouse to license Westinghouse's PWR technology and develop a bid for Chooz 1.

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 break for the company came in 1966, with a report from leading members of both the EDF and the CEA recommending that France continue to pursue an interest in PWR technology.

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

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

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.

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.

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

Gallois, Dominique, and Martine Orange, "Le Gouvernement Est Favorable au Rapprochement de Framatome avec Alcatel-Alsthom," Le Monde, April 12, 1997.

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, AREVA acquired North Carolina's Duke Engineering & Services, Inc.

As it renewed its focus on nuclear power, AREVA divested the connectors business in 2005, selling it to Bain Capital.