Areva SA, which is the world’s largest nuclear plant builder, recently acquired Ausra, a solar company. Ausra is based in Mountain View, California and specializes in solar thermal energy. Solar thermal energy uses the sun to heat water to create steam. This steam can then power turbines that create electricity.
Numerous details about the acquisition were not disclosed, however Areva SA is looking to be a major player in the field of solar energy due to this deal. The reason Areva SA is said to have shown interest in solar thermal energy is its similarity to nuclear plants.
Senior executive vice president of Areva, Anil Srivastava, stated: “This market is set to have 20 gig watts by the year 2020. Areva has an objective to be a world leader in solar energy by 2012.” The company expects to accomplish this goal by building for independent power plants and for coal and natural gas plants as well. The solar energy projects for coal and natural gas would be additions to their current format.
The company is expected to build throughout the world, including the United States. The company wants to focus particularly on the southwestern U.S., Europe, South Africa, and the Middle East.
