The capital increase reserved for Kuwait Investment Authority and the French State is carried out -  A capital increase reserved for investment certificate holders is launched

Today AREVA announced that the capital increase reserved for Kuwait Investment Authority, acting in the name and on behalf of the State of Kuwait (“KIA”) and the French State, in the amount of about 900 million euros is carried out through the issue of 27,692,307 ordinary shares at 32.50 euros per share, after the division of the par value of the AREVA ordinary share and investment certificate by ten occurring December 27, 2010.

In application of the anti-dilution right of the investment certificate (IC) holders, AREVA also announces the launch of a capital increase in their favour through the issue of a maximum of 1,190,923 preferred shares without voting rights, for a maximum of 38,311,992.91 euros.

The subscription to these preferred shares without voting rights shall occur: 

• with a 1% discount compared with ordinary shares, at the price of 32.17 euros per share (or 3.80 euros par and 28.37 euros premium). This discount corresponds to the value attributed to the voting rights stripped from the preferred shares
• at a ratio of one preferred share without voting rights to twelve IC, by exercising the preferential subscription right of each holder at close of trading on December 31, 2010.

The subscription period will be opened from January 3, 2011, to January 14, 2011 included. During this period of time, preferential subscription rights will be negotiable and listed on the NYSE Euronext Paris regulated market under ISIN code FR0010986174. There will be no subscription of shares in excess of those that the shareholders may subscribe to as of right. The Board of Directors will have the possibility to limit, to any extent, the amount of the capital increase to the preferred shares without voting rights subscribed during the subscription period.

The payment, delivery and the admission to trading of the new preferred shares without voting rights are expected on January 27, 2011. The new preferred shares have entitlement on dividends starting January 27, 2011 and will enable their holder, as soon as they are issued, to receive any distribution decided by the company from that date on. They will be negotiated on a distinct quotation line, under the ISIN code FR0010986190.

A prospectus that received the Autorités des marchés financiers’ (the « AMF ») visa n°10-450 on December 27, 2010 is available free of charge at the AREVA headquarters and on AREVA’s and the AMF’s websites (www.areva.com and www.amf-france.org).

The prospectus comprises the Reference Document of AREVA filed with the AMF on March 29, 2010 under the reference number D.10-0184, the Update of the Reference Document of AREVA filed with the AMF on December 27, 2010 under the reference number D.10-0184-A01, the June 30, 2010 Financial Report of AREVA, AREVA quarterly financial information of September 30, 2010, and the operation report that includes a summary of the prospectus.

AREVA draws the investors’ attention on the sections regarding the risk factors contained in the prospectus filed with the AMF.

Disclaimer 

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The distribution of this press release may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions. Persons into whose possession this document comes are required to inform themselves about and to observe any such restrictions.

This press release and the information contained herein in no way represent an offer of securities for sale nor the solicitation of an offer to purchase securities, in the United States or any other country.

Securities may not be offered or sold in the United States unless they are registered under the U.S. Securi-ties Act of 1933, as amended or exempt from registration. The investment certificates without voting rights, the non-voting preferred shares and the preferential subscription rights of AREVA have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act and AREVA does not intend to make a public offer of its securities in the United States. Copies of this document are not being, and should not be, distributed in or sent into the United States.

The distribution of this press release (which term shall include any form of communication) is restricted pursuant to section 21 (restrictions on financial promotion) of Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 ("FMSA"). In relation to the United Kingdom, this document is only being distributed to, and is directed only at, persons

(i) who have professional experience in matters relating to investments falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion Order) 2005, as amended (the "Order"),

(ii) falling within Article 49(2) (a) to (d) of the Order and

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