AREVA sponsors Brazil’s French Year

4/21/2009

News brief

Brazil is celebrating France from April through November 2009, following the success of "The many faces of Brazil: a Brazilian Year in France", in 2005. The goal is to reinforce the ties between the two countries through a range of events.

By familiarizing officials, professionals, artists, the general public, and the media with the partner country, this broad bilateral partnership helps to change the way each country perceives the other. Throughout the year, about 600 jointly organized French Year events will take place all over Brazil. These aim to present a France that is modern, diverse and outward-looking.

"França.Br 2009" provides an occasion for AREVA to help promote culture, science, technology, the economy and sports in a country where the group has been established for nearly 25 years.

AREVA is a member of the Brazil Committee, along with nine other large French companies. Specifically, the group will sponsor the Year’s opening evening and the fireworks that will be set up specially on the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon and the Corcovado Hill in Rio de Janeiro on April 21, 2009. Members of the Brazilian government and a number of AREVA group representatives will participate in the event.

The group maintains close, productive relations with Brazil, where it employs 2,300 locals. Its sales there amounted to €277M in 2008.

AREVA in Brazil

Global energy expert AREVA uses its many operations in Brazil to offer its customers technological solutions for nuclear power, electricity transmission and distribution, and renewable energy. AREVA has become a major player in this growth market, and many of its successful commercial operations there have involved working with local partners.

AREVA T&D works with all the major electric grid operators, supplying products, systems and services for electricity transmission and distribution from power plant to end user. Acquiring Waltec in October 2008 enabled AREVA’s T&D division to provide its customers with a full medium-voltage offering and expand its business in key industrial sectors.

The construction of the NPP Angra 2 reactor and the cooperation between AREVA’s NP division and the Brazilian nuclear industry are further proof of the long-lasting and successful cooperation between the two countries.

AREVA’s Renewable Energy division provides its Brazilian customers with alternative solutions for CO2-free electricity generation. The division boosted its supply operations by acquiring Koblitz in January 2008.