EDF could sell over 6 bln euros of assets -Les Echos

(Adds detail on CENG and EDF Energy, union comment on RTE)

PARIS, Jan 6 (Reuters) - French utility EDF (Paris: FR0010242511 - news) is considering selling assets worth over 6 billion euros ($6.45 billion) this year, French daily Les Echos reported on Wednesday.

EDF is notably considering selling stakes in its eight British nuclear plants to fund plans to build two European Pressurised Reactors (EPR) in Hinkley Point, Britain, Les Echos said, without citing its sources.

"The company has written over 6 billion euros of divestitures in its 2016 budget," Les Echos said.

EDF declined to comment.

The company needs 55 billion euros to upgrade its ageing nuclear plants, plans to invest 18 billion pounds ($26.37 billion) in Hinkley Point and spend several billion euros to buy Areva (Paris: FR0011027143 - news) 's reactor unit.

Les Echos said EDF could sell a stake of up to 29 percent in EDF Energy, whose nuclear assets have a book value of nearly 9 billion euros. This would leave EDF with a 51 percent stake, as British utility Centrica (LSE: CNA.L - news) owns 20 percent. The paper said a sale had been studied but the process had not been launched.

From this month, and until June 2022, EDF can also exercise a put option to sell its 49.9 percent stake in Constellation Energy Nuclear Group (CENG) to its joint venture partner Exelon under a deal agreed in July 2013.

CENG operates five nuclear plants in the United States and EDF's stake in the firm is valued at about $3 billion in its accounts, according to Les Echos.

EDF bought its CENG stake in 2008 for $4.7 billion and talked about building up to four EPR reactors in the U.S (Other OTC: UBGXF - news) . But cheap shale gas has made nuclear uneconomical in large parts of the U.S. and in 2013 EDF decided to pull out, after booking 2 billion euros in writedowns on CENG in 2009-2012.

Les Echos also said EDF is considering selling half of its French high-voltage power transmission unit RTE, although no decision has been taken.

The CGT union said it was opposed to any sale of RTE, even if it would be to state-owned bank Caisse des Depots et Consignations (CDC (LSE: 0DXD.L - news) ).

EDF CEO Jean-Bernard Levy said in November EDF is reviewing its strategy for RTE, over which it has no management control, in line with EU regulations on power grids.

In July, EDF also announced a review of its fossil-fuel fired power generation assets in continental Europe and fossil fuel production and sales outside France in July.

($1 = 0.9308 euros) ($1 = 0.6826 pounds) (Reporting by Dominique Vidalon and Geert De Clercq; editing by Susan Thomas)