PARIS, Sept 3 (Reuters) - EDF Chief Executive Pierre Gadonneix, who has headed the world's biggest producer of nuclear energy since 2004, could be replaced within weeks.
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This is a list of key facts on EDF:
* The world's biggest producer of nuclear power, with a market cap of 66 billion euros and 159,000 staff.
* Former Electricite de France, born in 1946 from the nationalisation of 1,450 French electricity and gas generation, transmission and distribution companies. It unveils plans to build nuclear plants in the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis.
* Now operates 58 reactors in 19 nuclear plants in France.
* Shareholders: France (84.66 percent), EDF staff (2.01 percent), institutional shareholders (4.41 percent), retail (8.92 percent).
* Pierre Gadonneix has been CEO since 2004. His mandate expires in November 2009.
* Reported sales of 64.3 billion euros ($91.85 billion) in 2008.
* New Projects in France: Building the Flamanville reactor and planning another 1,600 megawatt reactor in Penly.
* New Projects abroad: In the past year, EDF bought British Energy for 13.5 billion euros and nearly half of U.S. group Constellation Energy's nuclear power business for 4.5 billion euros, in order to build power plants in Britain and the United States. In 2008, EDF said it would operate two reactors in China's Guangdong province. Last month, EDF agreed with Enel on feasibility studies for four nuclear plants in Italy. ($1=.7000 Euro) (Reporting by Marie Maitre; Editing by Marcel Michelson and Jon Loades-Carter)