Areva says mulling options on REpower bid

PARIS, March 7 (Reuters) Areva said on Wednesday that it was considering its options on REpower after the German wind-turbine maker recommended a takeover offer by Suzlon that trumped the French nuclear power engineering group' own bid.

''We are studying various options and no decision has been made to this day,'' a spokesman at Areva said a few hours after REpower recommended Suzlon's offer at 126 euros per share that values it at 1.02 billion euros (.3 billion).

In January, Areva had offered to buy REpower at 105 euros per share in cash to boost its position in fast-growing CO2-free energy technologies.

REpower had initially welcomed Areva's offer, which valued it at 851 million euros.

Areva, the world's biggest maker of nuclear reactors, is currently the largest single shareholder in Repower, with a stake of just under 30 percent.

Suzlon, the world's fifth-largest wind turbine maker, last month teamed up with Martifer, a unit of Portugal's largest builder Mota Engil , to launch a bid for REpower. Martifer owns more than 25 percent of REpower.

Suzlon Chairman Tulsi Tanti told Reuters on Wednesday that his firm had not yet held any talks with Areva.

REUTERS DKS KN2103