EDF to open up UK nuclear projects for partners
French state-controlled utility EDF is considering looking for more partners for its nuclear projects in Britain to help it share costs and limit its debt burden, its chief financial officer said on Thursday.
EDF, along with junior partner Centrica, plans to build four new 1,600-megawatt European pressurised water reactors as Britain looks to reform its power market to reward producers of low-carbon energy, including nuclear power.
“EDF’s goal has always been and remains to be in control of the operations, to control the projects … but this does not mean that we absolutely need to control 80 per cent of the projects,” CFO Thomas Piquemal said in a conference call. “This is why we are looking into opening up a little bit more of our capital in these projects by finding new partners.”
Earlier on Thursday, EDF posted a 4.6 per cent rise in its first-half core earnings as higher hydro electronic output after heavy rains and other renewable energies offset the effect of longer-than-expected nuclear outages.
EDF shares were up 1.5 per cent at €16.84 this morning, outperforming the European sector, which was 0.1 percent lower.