Areva and U.S. utility Xcel Energy have signed a USD500 million integrated fuel supply contract to supply Minnesota’s Monticello nuclear power plant. The General Electric BWR-3 design plant, has a current output of 613MW. With deliveries beginning in 2015, Areva will provide ten year’s supply or six fuel reloads to cover uranium, enrichment, conversion, fuel fabrication and design and related engineering services. Being the first time that Xcel Energy uses Areva fuel in its plants, the contract also includes the transition to use Areva’s ATRIUMTM 10XM boiling water reactor fuel in the Monticello plant. Xcel Energy also operates a two 548 MW pressurized water reactor near Red Wing, MN Prairie Island 1&2. The first integrated fuel supply contract to be awarded in the U.S. in decades, Xcel Energy believes that the relationship with Areva will benefit customers by controlling fuel costs.