Constellation Energy and Electricite de France Sign Memorandum of Understanding Related to U.S. Evolutionary Power Reactor
June 01 2006 - 12:59PM
PR Newswire (US)
BALTIMORE, June 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Constellation Energy
(NYSE:CEG) and Electricite de France (EdF) today announced that the
two companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
Specifically, EdF and Constellation Energy's subsidiary,
Constellation Generation Group, have agreed to work together toward
an agreement allowing EdF to provide assistance to Constellation
Energy as part of the development of the U.S. Evolutionary Power
Reactor (EPR). "As the world's leading nuclear operator and
developer of the first EPR in France, Electricite de France will
facilitate the advancement and promotion of the EPRs as the
technology of choice for nuclear fleets around the world," said
Michael J. Wallace, executive vice president of Constellation
Energy, president of Constellation Generation Group, and co-chief
executive officer of UniStar Nuclear. "EdF's extensive technical
expertise will also prove invaluable as we design, license, build
and operate a fleet of U.S. EPR advanced nuclear power plants in
North America." UniStar Nuclear is a joint enterprise between
Baltimore-based Constellation Energy and Bethesda, Md.-based AREVA,
Inc., that provides the business framework through which the first
fleet of advanced nuclear power plants in America in nearly three
decades will be developed and deployed. The U.S. EPR is a 1,600
megawatt reactor designed for America by AREVA, Inc. It is a
standardized, advanced design derived from the EPR nuclear reactor
currently being built in Europe. "With the passage late last year
of the Energy Policy Act, the Bush Administration and Congress have
helped secure America's energy future," Wallace said. "Their
foresight and action continue to pave the way for companies like
UniStar Nuclear to help bring about America's newest fleet of
nuclear power plants." The technical assistance agreement that the
companies will finalize in the coming weeks is likely to involve
the exchange of engineers, documentation and assistance services
that strengthen the input and experience base that the global fleet
of EPRs brings to UniStar Nuclear in its goal to deploy the U.S.
EPR. The agreement also allows for EdF and Constellation Energy to
explore further areas in which they might jointly cooperate on new
nuclear development opportunities in the United States. "The EPR is
the only generation three plus advanced reactor design actually
under construction in the world today," said George Vanderheyden,
senior vice president of Constellation Generation Group, and
president of UniStar Nuclear. "The insight gained from the
construction, startup and operations experience of the global fleet
will translate directly into increased efficiencies and greater
certainty for UniStar Nuclear partners leading the resurgence of
the U.S. nuclear power industry." EdF has long been an active
participant in assisting with pressurized water reactor development
in this country. EdF joined eight other energy companies and
Constellation Energy, an early member, in NuStart Energy
Development LLC. The consortium was created in 2004 to demonstrate
the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) new combined
Construction and Operating License (COL) process, and to complete
the design engineering of selected reactor technologies. EdF has
also worked with the Nuclear Energy Institute, the Electric Power
Research Institute and the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations,
and participated in the utility reference plant design. The first
EPR, under construction at Olkiluoto, Finland, is scheduled to
commence operations by 2009. The second, in Flamanville, France,
was approved by EdF in May and is scheduled for completion in 2012.
"This global construction experience provides the strong foundation
for a U.S. EPR fleet with real experience in constructing and
operating an advanced nuclear power plant," said Vanderheyden.
"This invaluable experience will no doubt improve the efficiencies
of the U.S. fleet." Constellation Energy
(http://www.constellation.com/), a FORTUNE 200 company with 2005
revenues of $17.1 billion, is the nation's largest competitive
supplier of electricity to large commercial and industrial
customers and the nation's largest wholesale power seller.
Constellation Energy also manages fuels and energy services on
behalf of energy intensive industries and utilities. It owns a
diversified fleet of more than 100 generating units located
throughout the United States, totaling approximately 12,000
megawatts of generating capacity. The company delivers electricity
and natural gas through the Baltimore Gas and Electric Company
(BGE), its regulated utility in Central Maryland. In less than 20
years, the EdF Group has acquired unequalled nuclear electricity
generation resources - 58 reactors with generating capacity of 65.7
GW which raises France to the rank of the second largest nuclear
electricity power generator in the world, behind the United States.
Nuclear power provides over 85 percent of EdF's electricity
production and its technological expertise is now a recognized
benchmark throughout the world. EdF has a diversified mix of
generation capacities of all energy types - fossil fuels (coal,
fuel oil and gas) and renewable energy (hydraulic, solar, wind and
biomass) - as well as nuclear. DATASOURCE: Constellation Energy
CONTACT: Robert Gould, +1-410-234-7433, or Investors: Kevin
Hadlock, +1-410-783-3647, both of Constellation Energy Web site:
http://www.constellation.com/ Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/084087.html
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