OREANDA-NEWS. AREVA and EVOPRO, a leading Hungarian engineering company specialized in industrial automation systems, have signed today a Memorandum of Understanding to formalize global cooperation in nuclear and renewable energy. The ceremony took place at Hungarian Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry, in the presence of the Deputy Minister Dr. Laszlo Szabo.

The agreement marks the beginning of collaboration on a series of identified opportunities for both nuclear new builds and existing plants. The first area of collaboration will be for supply of Instrumentation & Control (I&C) systems to Hungary’s current and future nuclear reactors.

EVOPRO has also successfully completed AREVA’s supplier pre-qualification program and can participate in future projects worldwide.

“This agreement with EVOPRO strengthens our relationship with the Hungarian nuclear industry and supports our localization initiative for new builds and modernization projects,” said Frank Apel, AREVA senior vice president of Sales in Western & Northern Europe. “With the combination of technical expertise and project management, AREVA and EVOPRO are well-positioned to support the Hungarian nuclear industry in the years to come.”

“The agreement goes further and strengthens our ties for the delivery of quality projects in Hungary and abroad,” said Balazs Bodnar, Managing Director of EVOPRO systems engineering Ltd. “Professional recognition, national and international references in many industries including nuclear plant control system testing & commissioning, and the continuous, close collaboration in education with  the Institute of Nuclear Techniques (INT) of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME) have all led to this agreement.”

Dr. Laszlo Szabo, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade added: “The agreement signed today between EVOPRO and AREVA is another excellent example of the international recognition of Hungarian engineering expertise. It also contributes to the Hungarian Government’s foreign economic policy goals, which aim at strengthening the domestic small and medium enterprises and facilitating the export of services, technologies and know-how.”

AREVA’s historical relationship with the Hungarian nuclear industry dates back 15 years with the installation of the TELEPERM XS I&C system at the Paks nuclear power plant units 1-4. The digital safety I&C platform TELEPERM XS has been installed or ordered for 80 nuclear power plant units in 16 countries for 14 different reactor designs, making it the most widely deployed digital I&C system in the world.