France to Increase Nuclear Power Capacity with Construction of Second European Pressurized Reactor in Penly

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--On January 29, French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced that the second European pressurized reactor would be built in the French Commune of Penly. The announcement confirmed both the construction of the facility and the participation of GDF Suez SA (EPA:GSZ) (Paris) as a minority shareholder in the project.

At present, local utility Electricite de France (EPA:EDF) (EDF) (Paris) is a leader in nuclear power generation in France and around the world. The company has 58 nuclear reactors in operation installed in 19 power stations throughout the country. The announcement means that France's base-load installed capacity will increase by at least 1,650 megawatts (MW) and additionally opens the civil nuclear market to new players. For related information, view November 11, 2008, news article - EDF Continues Construction of New Nuclear Reactor at Flamanville Power Plant.

Penly is a French commune located in the Haute-Normandie region, where a 2,600-MW nuclear power station supplies power to the grid. The plant, equipped with two Framatome pressurized water reactors and two 1,300-MW Alstom (EPA:ALO) steam turbines, was commissioned in 1990 and is one of the newest French nuclear power facilities in operation.

The new reactor, which is expected to start construction in 2012 and be commissioned in 2017, will have a total investment cost of around $4.5 billion and will be built by an EDF and GDF Suez consortium. Today, GDF Suez is present in nuclear power generation in Belgium through its subsidiary Electrabel (Brussels, Belgium), which owns and operates seven nuclear reactors in the country. In Romania, GDF Suez will take part in the construction of the new Cernavoda blocks 3 and 4. Additionally, the company has been active in several projects, including projects in Bulgaria and United Arab Emirates, while in the United Kingdom, GDF Suez has signed an agreement with the Spanish company Iberdrola SA (MCE:IBE) (Bilbao) and Scottish & Southern Energy plc (OTC:SSEZY) for the development of nuclear power stations in the country.

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