PARIS -(Dow Jones)- No decision has been reached yet over which bidder would acquire French state-controlled nuclear group Areva SA's (CEI.FR) unit Areva T&D, a person close to the French government told Dow Jones Newswires Sunday.
"No decision has been made yet. There's a process, the deadline to submit firm offers is Monday at 1600 GMT and the bids will then be studied before a decision is made," the person said.
Earlier this weekend, French industrial weekly L'Usine Nouvelle reported on its Web site, citing unspecified sources, that French consortium of engineering giant Alstom SA (ALS ALO.FR) and electric equipment maker Schneider Electric SA (SU.FR) appear to have won the bid for Areva T&D, a transmission and distribution business.
The government owns around 93% directly and indirectly in Areva.
Areva has so far only said it has taken three unidentified bidders through to a second round and has declined to comment on key details and timing.
As well as Alstom and Schneider, which revealed their bidding plan ahead of the summer, other bidders are General Electric Co. (GE) of the U.S., which has teamed up with private equity firm CVC Capital Partners; and Japan's Toshiba Corp. (TOSYY 6502.TO).
-By Geraldine Amiel, Dow Jones Newswires; +33 1 40171740; geraldine.amiel@dowjones.com;
Click here to go to Dow Jones NewsPlus, a web front page of today's most important business and market news, analysis and commentary: http://www.djnewsplus.com/access/al?rnd=3A8cpEfn7qTVeZoQ4a1Wdg%3D%3D. You can use this link on the day this article is published and the following day.

Publié le 08 novembre 2009 Copyright © 2009 Dowjones