Two top level visits to South Africa by the French energy giant Areva, have recently taken place. Areva provides solutions for non CO2 power generation such as nuclear and wind. It also specialises in transmission and distribution of electricity. Anne Lauvergeon, Areva’s CEO, described as one of the world’s most influential women, was in SA to attend one of President Mbeke’s twice-yearly international investment committee meetings. The Group has strong ambitions in the nuclear field in South Africa where Eskom plans to further develop nuclear plants.
Areva’s third generation EPR (Evolutionary pressure water reactor) can produce up to 1 600 MW.
Areva’s Transmission and Distribution Division (T&D) also showed its interest in developments in South Africa with a visit by Areva T&D CEO, Philippe Guillemot, and VP for international sales, Africa, Philippe Romieu together with the Executive Committee and their product-line managers.
As one of the three top players in the T&D business worldwide, Areva T&D is determined to stamp its mark on the local scene and aims to double its sales in the territory over the next few years. Presently Areva T&D is implementing a country-wide power dispatch system for Eskom to help improve grid reliability and availability.
Asked what important future T&D developments he saw, Philippe Guillemot said that compact equipment would be important as urban areas consumed ever more power; also it will become important to transmit more power along existing transmission servitudes as rights of way become increasingly difficult to obtain. DC transmission would have a role to play in this area. High speed computerised and automatic control of networks would also expand rapidly.
Areva T&D is represented in South Africa by ALSTOM SA.
Contact Mark Dixon, ALSTOM, Tel (011) 820-5044, mark.dixon@alstom.co.za