ORIGINAL FRENCH ARTICLE: Des investisseurs chinois pourraient entrer au capital d’Areva
by L’Humanité
Translated Saturday 5 September 2015, by
Nuclear
According to Le Journal du Dimanche (JDD), Areva envisages turning Chinese partners to refloat it. The head of the group’s supervisory board, Philippe Varin, believes that China is indispensable for Areva, “now is the time to renew alliances, because the company is at a crossroads and is in need of technology”. This statement follows Thursday’s formalisation of the sale of the nuclear giant’s reactors, to EDF (Electricité de France), for two billion euros. An amount which will not make up Areva’s deficit. If the group is looking to China for assistance, it is because the state, which holds 87 percent of the company’s capital, cannot advance the 3.4 billion euros needed to meet demands between now and 2017. According to JDD “the recapitalisation could take place in two stages: assistance from the state next year, then Chinese funding later. Some are betting it will happen after the presidential election in 2017".