EDF, the world’s biggest nuclear operator, is considering helping to complete an atomic reactor in Finland plagued by delays, cost overruns and a dispute between the supplier and its customer.
The state-run operator of France’s 58 reactors, itself pushing to develop so-called EPR models in Normandy and China, got requests from the builder Areva and client Teollisuuden Voima Oyj, chief executive Henri Proglio said.
“I have clearly told both sides they have to agree on our involvement,” Proglio said.
“We aren’t going to play the role of UN peacekeepers.”
Areva, developing the reactor with Siemens, and TVO have taken to arbitration billions of euros of claims against each other over construction of the Olkiluoto 3.
Building began in 2005 and was originally due for completion in 2009. It was Europe’s first order after the 1986 Chernobyl disaster and has been a black mark on the record of construction of EPRs, the showpiece of France’s nuclear industry.
“If they want us to contribute to a technical solution for the reactor we would do it through a mission co-opted by both,” Proglio said.
“It would be to find a solution to a problem.”
Arbitration would remain the responsibility of the two sides.
Areva chief executive Luc Oursel has said there are “incredible difficulties” in its relationship with TVO. The company is a partner with EDF in a plan to develop two EPRs in the UK.
The Finnish reactor has “specific” problems that cannot be generalized to the EPR, according to Proglio. The work sites at Flamanville in France and Taishan in China are progressing as planned, he said.
“The competition has started,” he said on whether a French or Chinese EPR would be the first of its kind to start up.
“I would like it to be Flamanville.”
The news comes as the French firm reported an 8.3% increase in first-half profit after higher nuclear output and tariffs offset a drop in demand due to mild winter weather.
Net income rose to $4.2 billion from $3.9billion a year earlier on the “good performance” of its financial portfolio, EDF said.
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, including the contribution from its distributor in Italy, Edison, climbed 3.1% percent to $12.8billion
“Ongoing efforts” lowered like-for-like operating costs by 0.8%, the company said.
The company also kept a target for 2014 atomic output of 410TWh to 415TWh after reporting 403.7TWh for 2013. It forecasts positive cash flow after dividends in 2018.
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