French power firm Areva has signed a pre-engineering agreement (PEA) with Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) to set up two Evolutionary Power Reactors (EPR) at the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project in Maharashtra state, India. The reactors will have a capacity of 1650 MW each.
The United Arab Emirates has announced plans to develop another 100 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) power capacity. The proposals form part of its Vision 2021, which aims to source 24 per cent of its energy from renewable energy sources.
The Government of Brazil has announced the launch of an investment fund of $6.5 billion, which will be used to create renewable energy generation projects in the country's northeastern region.
Royal Dutch Shell has agreed to buy oil and gas exploration firm BG Group for £47 billion (about $70 billion) in a deal prompted by falling oil prices.
The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), India's state-run power generator, is aiming to develop 5000 MW of solar power capacity in the next two years, which is a third of its 15 000 MW target over the next seven years in India. This target represents a fifty-fold increase from the current levels of solar capacity.
The French government has suggested that Areva sells the division responsible for manufacturing, installing and servicing nuclear reactors to state-controlled power utility Electricité de France SA in a bid to rescue the loss-making nuclear engineering firm and restructure the industry. Areva’s Chief Executive Officer Philippe Knoche revealed the news in a meeting with union representatives last week.