[en] Access to the grid, interconnections, long-term contracts for big consuming industries, energy saving certificates.. rules and tariffs have changed since January 1, 2006 and reflect the will of Brussels to liberalize the market. This short paper makes a brief overview. (J.S.)

[en] Areva, the first world nuclear group, has announced 301 million euros of net income and 5.39 billion euros of turnover for the first half of 2005. Its order book is already filled up (fuel fabrication, reactors and services, fuel reprocessing, engineering) and should increase with its alliances with Constellation Energy (US) and with China and Brazil for the construction of several reactors of the third generation. The increase of the service life of US reactors from 40 to 60 years will profit to Areva and the phenomenon should spread over the whole nuclear park worldwide. Areva has to adapt its production means and manpower and to invest massively to take up the challenge. (J.S.)

[en] The increasing diesel-fuel demand and imports in France justify the main investments performed in French refineries. Total and Exxon have already launched some big projects in Normandy but these efforts will be insufficient to compensate for the increasing shortage. (J.S.)

[en] The opening of 15% of Electricite de France (EdF) capital to the private sector will allow the first world electric utility to raise 7 billions of euros of cash flow. EdF will have also to face the new European situation: a strained market, several consolidations to come and many competitors to deal with. EdF has to re-launch its production tool and to reinforce its interconnection capacities if it wants to stay the number one of power exports in Europe. The integration of Edison company (Italy) by EdF gives access to new gas capacities but other resources have to be found if EdF wants to enlarge its gas offer. A new concentration era is foreseen in Europe and EdF will have to seize the economic growth opportunities in particular in Europe and China. (J.S.)

[en] Since June 26, 2006, the national plan of allocation of CO₂ quotas for the 2008-2012 era (PNAQ 2) is submitted to the public examination. This text proposes to diminish by 2% the CO₂ quotas allocated to the industry and to energy companies between 2008 and 2012. NGOs and companies strongly criticize this text but for opposite reasons: NGOs claim for more severity while industrialists consider that the efforts requested are too high. Among the critics, the optional measure of the PNAQ 2 plan of putting up 10% of the CO₂ quotas to auction has received a mitigated acceptance. Short paper. (J.S.)

[en] On July 20, 2005, the French government has announced the implementation of a system allowing the big power-consuming companies (over 20 TWh per year) to group together into a consortium in order to negotiate contracts with power supplier for a 15 to 20 years warranty of prices. Short paper. (J.S.)

[en] Thanks to its technological alliance with Mitsubishi Heavy Industry (Japan), Areva company (France) has found an ally in Japan and, at the same time, has launched the design of a new range of third generation nuclear reactors adapted to small power grids. Short paper. (J.S.)

[en] The reduction of radioactive waste volumes is a priority for the French atomic energy commission (CEA) and for the Areva group. This article gives a rapid overview of the equipments and processes used to separate the valorizable materials from the ultimate wastes: pulsed separation columns and evaporators for the liquid-liquid extraction, compactification of spent fuel hulls, remote handling systems, recoverable colloid for surface decontamination, decontaminating foam, hydrothermal oxidation of organic and aqueous effluents, cold crucible vitrification etc. (J.S.)

[en] Nuclear energy is making a strong come-back in energy strategies. However, to better manage the nuclear fuel resources, the future reactors will have to save it thanks to a higher burnup (more than 0.8% instead of 0.5% today) and recycling rate. Future reactors will be used also as heat generation sources (800-1000 deg. C) for the production of hydrogen, the gasification of coal, the steel-making industry, the petrochemistry etc.. Several technologies are under study: the main ones studied in France are the sodium-cooled FBR, the fast gas-cooled reactor and the very-high temperature reactor. Three other technologies are studied at the international scale: the fast lead-cooled reactor, the molten-salt reactor and the supercritical water reactor. This paper presents briefly the general principles of these technologies with their respective advantage and drawbacks. (J.S.)

[en] Russia fails one by one all foreign oil major companies involved in the exploitation of Russian fields. The reason is to change the contracts concluded in the 1990's and to allow the national companies, Gazprom and Rosneft, to put their hands again on the Russian reserves. French para-petroleum industries have become reticent to conclude new contracts without any warranty from their traditional big clients. Short paper. (J.S.)