Czech Republic: TS Plzen and AREVA sign a contract for the strategic supply of a forging press and manipulator for the Le Creusot manufacturing plant

AREVA’s Chief Operating Officer and member of the Executive Board, Philippe Knoche, and Vaclav Smazal, TS Plzen’s Chief Executive Officer, signed today in Pilsen, Czech Republic, a contract for the supply of a 9000-ton new forging press as well as a 200-ton manipulator for AREVA’s Le Creusot manufacturing plant, in Burgundy, France. The contract is worth more than half a billion Czech crowns.

This strategic contract further illustrates the strong relationships AREVA has established with the Czech industry over the years. For the last three years, AREVA has provided the Czech industry with more than 1 billion Czech crowns of commercial opportunities in equipment and services, becoming an important contributor of the nuclear industry in the country. The equipment and services were supplied for AREVA facilities as well as for some of the group’s projects worldwide.

In parallel, AREVA has established several proactive cooperation agreements with research institutes and universities as part of the company’s commitment to strengthening the Czech nuclear sector,

Today’s contract represents a strategic investment for AREVA to ensure the industrial durability of its Le Creusot manufacturing site, which supplies large forgings and castings mainly to the nuclear market, including those for the EPR™ projects currently under construction in Europe and China. The contract fully supports the investment strategy AREVA has followed in the last 5 years across all of its businesses to renew and expand its industrial facilities. It is part of the proprietary investments that will be made by the group in the coming years to maintain AREVA’s leadership position and capture future growth.

The new press and the manipulator manufactured by TS Plzen are state-of-the-art pieces of equipment. They will allow AREVA to strengthen its competitiveness and maintain leadership in its current markets, as well as conquer new ones, by producing components of the highest safety standards for current and future customers.

The industrial commissioning of the press and the manipulator is planned for Q4-2013.

 “As a growing player in the sector with an excellent track record, it was natural for AREVA to entrust TS Plzen with this strategic investment for our group. This contract marks a further step into the already strong cooperation that exists between AREVA and the Czech industry,” said Philippe Knoche, AREVA’s COO, at the signing ceremony. “We are deeply committed to utilizing the extensive industrial expertise that exists in the Czech Republic. AREVA brings bankable prospects for revenue generation and commercial opportunities whether it is on our New Build projects or on our industrial facilities worldwide.”

“We are honored that AREVA awarded us with this contract, which is one of the most significant contracts in company history and proves the trust AREVA has in the quality of TS Plzen products. It demonstrates AREVA’s commitment to supporting the development of the Czech industry and reinforces the position of TS Plzen as a key player in the complex machinery supply market,” said, Vaclav Smazal, TS Plzen’s CEO.