PARIS, March 21 (Reuters) - The nuclear crisis in Japan could strengthen the hand of Areva's (CEPFi.PA) embattled chief Anne Lauvergeon as she fights to keep her job at the helm of the French state-owned reactor maker.
Critics have previously said Areva's preference for selling powerful and expensive reactors to emerging markets was a mistake, as many countries would be content with older, cheaper technology that was tested but true.
But with Japan's second-generation Fukishima reactors shedding radiation, Lauvergeon's mantra that safety and superior engineering are worth the cost seems prescient.
The Japan disaster could thus validate her strategy and perhaps keep her atop Areva, which she created in 2001 from a jumble of state-owned assets.
"No government wants to get tagged with buying less than top of the line reactors ... Not even in India where Areva will probably make its next sale," a banking source close to Areva said. "So suddenly Lauvergeon's huge, expensive, overly French techy reactor looks good."
No comments:
Post a Comment