Arabelle Solutions
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Nuclear steam turbines |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Headquarters | Boulogne-Billancourt , France |
Area served | Nearly 16 countries including China, Finland, India, Romania, United Kingdom |
Key people | Frédéric Wiscart (Chairman) |
| Products | Arabelle nuclear steam turbines |
| Owner | EDF |
Arabelle Solutions, previously known as GE Alstom Nuclear Systems (GEAST), is a French global enterprise specializing in nuclear steam turbines (Arabelle) designed for turbine islands. With operations spanning nearly 16 countries such as China, Finland, India, Romania, and the United Kingdom, its headquarters are located in Boulogne-Billancourt, France. The company’s Belfort facility is responsible for developing the Arabelle turbine, recognized as the most powerful nuclear steam turbine worldwide.
Originally rooted in France, Arabelle Solutions has been under the ownership of EDF since 31 May 2024. The company began as a joint venture between General Electric and Alstom, with General Electric (later GE Vernova) acquiring an 80% stake in October 2018, while the French government retained a 20% share. Under the leadership of Frédéric Wiscart, GE Alstom Nuclear Systems integrated the nuclear operations of GE Steam Power following GE’s purchase of Alstom Power in 2015 via its subsidiaries GE Steam Power Systems and GE Steam Power Service.
Given the turbines’ strategic significance for France, the transaction with General Electric included protective measures ensuring France maintained intellectual property rights and held a golden share in GEAST.
Following EDF’s takeover, Arabelle Solutions absorbed GE Steam Power’s global operations outside the Americas, broadening its scope after GE’s acquisition of Alstom Power in 2015.
Origins
The development of the first nuclear steam turbines dates back to the 1950s when Rateau and General Electric collaborated at the Marcoule in France and in Dresden, USA. In the 1970s, Alstom acquired Rateau and renamed it Alstom Rateau. The name Arabelle originates from the acronym ‘Alstom Rateau Belfort Le Bourget’.
2014: General Electric acquires Alstom Power
In 2014, General Electric (GE) proposed acquiring a partial stake in Alstom valued at $13 billion. This transaction received approval from Emmanuel Macron, who was serving as an adviser and minister under François Hollande at that time.
The merger led to the creation of a joint entity named GE Alstom Nuclear Systems (GEAST), which combined Alstom Power Systems with Alstom Power Service. Ownership was split with GE holding 80% and Alstom retaining 20%, alongside governance provisions designed to safeguard French strategic interests, including ensuring production of the Arabelle turbines remained in France.
In January 2016, GE announced workforce reductions across Europe amounting to 6,500 positions, including 765 jobs within France’s Alstom energy divisions; however, it confirmed that operations at the Belfort plant would continue.
By mid-2016, GE—responsible for servicing Alstom's Arabelle turbines operating France’s nuclear facilities—sought to curtail its financial exposure in case of operational incidents, raising concerns about potential disagreements with EDF.
2018: Alstom fully exits GE Alstom Nuclear Systems (GEAST)
A report published by the French National Assembly in 2018 emphasized the government’s protective role over GEAST, including a veto power on decisions impacting its industrial framework or intellectual property assets. On 2 October 2018, Alstom divested its entire 20% interest across its three energy joint ventures with General Electric: Renewables, Grid, and GE Alstom Nuclear Systems (GEAST).
By 2020, General Electric aimed to sell off major holdings such as GE Steam Power and GE Alstom Nuclear Systems—the former encompassing Alstom’s nuclear activities—to enhance liquidity.
2022–2024: Acquisition by EDF
In January 2022, EDF and General Electric reached an agreement whereby EDF would purchase a segment of GE Steam Power's nuclear operations, mainly GE Alstom Nuclear Systems (GEAST), for roughly €175 million after accounting for cash and debt adjustments. The overall valuation of this business was approximately one billion euros.
On 10 February 2022, EDF and GE entered into an exclusivity arrangement concerning EDF’s acquisition of GE Steam Power’s international nuclear division, excluding the United States. This transaction focused on significant assets such as the Arabelle turbine division.
By March 2022, it was reported that the French government intended to sell a 20% share of GEAST to Rosatom, while EDF would maintain an 80% ownership stake. Rosatom is a principal client at the Belfort facility, where Arabelle turbines are manufactured.
In November 2022, EDF and GE finalized the acquisition contract, with the transfer planned for the second quarter of 2023. Nevertheless, due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and subsequent US sanctions on Russia, EDF postponed its summer 2023 purchase because of potential risks related to GEAST’s contracts involving steam turbine deliveries for Rosatom projects in Egypt, Hungary, and Turkey.
On 31 May 2024, EDF completed the acquisition of GE Vernova’s nuclear activities (General Electric’s successor), including the production and servicing of Arabelle turbines. Frédéric Wiscart, previously CEO of GEAST, assumed the role of Chairman at Arabelle Solutions—the new designation for GE Alstom Nuclear Systems under EDF—while Bernard Fontana, Chairman of Framatome (an EDF subsidiary), was appointed as Chairman of Arabelle Solutions.