Framatome ANP, Inc./Entergy Team Wins License Renewal at Cook Nuclear Plant

Business Wire, Feb 13, 2002

Business Editors/Energy Writers

LYNCHBURG, Va. and JACKSON, Miss.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 12, 2002

The team of Framatome ANP, Inc. and Entergy has been awarded a contract to provide license renewal management to American Electric Power Company's Cook Nuclear Power Plant at Bridgman, MI - making the Framatome/Entergy team the largest provider of license renewal services to the U.S. nuclear power industry.

The contract will be implemented over several years culminating in the preparation and presentation of the license renewal documentation to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for approval in November 2003.

This is the second contract for the Framatome/Entergy team outside of the five Entergy plants. Previously a contract for license renewal at Davis-Besse, a FENOC plant in Sandusky, OH, was awarded to the team. The team also is responsible for license renewal at all Entergy plants and currently is preparing applications for the Pilgrim plant in Plymouth, MA, and Arkansas Nuclear One unit 2, Russellville, AR.

"The Framatome/Entergy team is honored to be providing our expertise as the U.S. nuclear power industry assures its long-term status as the nation's most dependable source of electricity," said Ray Ganthner, Framatome ANP, Inc. Vice President of Engineering and Licensing. "Obtaining license renewals for U.S. plants certainly brings the future of nuclear power more into focus."

"With the Cook project, Framatome/Entergy becomes the largest provider of license renewal services to the U.S. nuclear power industry," said Randy Hutchinson, senior vice president, business development, for Entergy Nuclear in Jackson, MS. "Nuclear owners are recognizing the breadth of experience this team brings to a life extension project. It saves them time and money."

Eight nuclear power plants have submitted license renewals to the NRC. Framatome ANP, Inc. supported six renewal applications. Three applications supported by Framatome ANP, Inc. have been approved and another three are pending.

Framatome ANP offers a full range of nuclear engineering and advanced technologies for both PWR and BWR plants, world class testing and qualification facilities, and advanced monitoring and digital instrumentation and control systems to enhance safety, improve plant operations and extend service life.

Framatome ANP (Advanced Nuclear Power), an AREVA and Siemens company, is the world's premier nuclear supplier. Framatome ANP's focus includes comprehensive engineering, instrumentation and control, nuclear services, heavy component manufacture, modernization, fuel assemblies for many reactor designs, including those supplied by other vendors, and the development and construction of nuclear power plants and research reactors.

Framatome ANP is headquartered in Paris with principal subsidiaries in the U.S. and Germany. In the company, AREVA has a 66% shares and Siemens 34%. Framatome ANP has a total workforce of approximately 13,000 worldwide and posts annual revenues totaling about $2.3 billion.

The AREVA Group, which combines the forces of Cogema, Framatome ANP and Framatome Connectors International, has sales exceeding $8.6 billion and more than 50,000 employees. The AREVA Group is the world leader in nuclear power and the second largest group worldwide in connectors. The total revenue from its North American companies should now exceed $1.5 billion.

The nuclear businesses of Entergy are headquartered in Jackson, Miss. Entergy, a global energy company based in New Orleans, is the third largest power generator in the nation with more than 30,000 megawatts of generating capacity, about $10 billion in revenue and over 2.6 million customers. Entergy's nuclear businesses encompass five power reactors at four locations in Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana under regulatory jurisdictions, and four reactors at three sites in Massachusetts and New York. Entergy Nuclear has also signed an agreement to purchase the Vermont Yankee plant at Vernon, Vt., and expects to close that transaction in 2002. Entergy Nuclear also furnishes license renewal and decommissioning services to the U.S. nuclear power industry.

For further information, visit: http://www.framatome-anp.com or http://www.entergy-nuclear.com .