By Jarret Adams

Today’s announcement of a memorandum of understanding for 80 offshore wind turbines for AREVA’s subsidiary Multibrid signals a major step forward for our renewable business.  Apart from the fact that this will be a contract worth over $900 million for AREVA, it reinforces our position as a major player in the renewables sector.

These wind turbines will be located off the North Sea coast of Germany, but AREVA is looking for opportunities for new business at various locations in North America. Our company remains one of a handful capable of producing the 5 MW offshore wind turbines.

AREVA also is involved in other renewable sectors, such as biopower (biomass to electricity). We have constructed 100 biomass facilities around the world and are now looking to build more in the United States.

Last September, AREVA and Duke Energy formed ADAGE, a joint venture focused on providing biopower solutions to U.S. electricity customers. Since its formation, ADAGE has moved forward with the goal of building 10-12 facilities over the next six years. In February, ADAGE announced a preliminary agreement with Energy Northwest to market 50 MW biopower facilities in Pacific Northwest.

Developing solutions for power generations with a small environmental impact from renewables, such as wind and biomass, along with clean nuclear energy is a main focus of our business.

By Jarret Adams

Recently AREVA has been the subject of some attacks by members of anti-nuclear organizations. Here is our basic response:

While some may have a quasi-religious or professional obligation to oppose nuclear energy, I would invite anyone who is curious about the issue to research it on your own and come to your own conclusions.

America’s nuclear power plants are important sources of carbon-free generation and produce 20 percent of our electricity. Nuclear power also represents nearly three-quarters of our emission-free generation; most of the rest comes from hydropower.

Expanding nuclear power can make one of the largest contributions to preventing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions of any initiative under way in our country.

For people for whom it is their full-time jobs it is to attack nuclear energy, it is not surprising to see such a vitriolic attack against our company, which employs 6,000 hardworking people in the United States and 75,000 around the world. 

It is also important to note that AREVA also is a leading producer of smart grid applications which make electricity distribution more efficient and have a rapidly growing renewable business in the biomass sector and producing offshore wind turbines.

It would take a long time to address each inaccuracy or misrepresentation that has appeared recently, but would like to address at least one regarding the La Hague recycling facility in France.

Protecting the environment is a priority for us in all of our operations. Because of concerns regarding La Hague, we have set up real-time environmental monitoring on our website. Check it out for yourself: http://www.lahague.areva-nc.com/.

We welcome visitors to our facilities in the United States and elsewhere, so people can draw their own conclusions about our environmental commitments.