Areva says confident Creusot Forge foundry can restart this summer

PARIS, March 30 (Reuters) - French state-controlled nuclear group Areva (LSE: 0P4A.L - news) said it is confident that its Creusot Forge foundry, whose production is halted following the discovery of forged documents and production irregularities, will restart this summer.

Areva reactor unit Areva NP director Bernard Fontana told reporters on Thursday that Areva will make sure that the foundry's procedures and quality culture are brought to the highest standards. The company also plans to invest in the foundry so that it can again start making the biggest nuclear components, including reactor vessels, he said.

He said it would take an extra year to get the foundry ready to make the biggest nuclear parts and said he was confident that Creusot Forge would make parts for two nuclear reactors that utility EDF (Paris: FR0010242511 - news) plans to build at Hinkley Point in Britain. (Reporting by Geert De Clercq; Editing by Adrian Croft)