French nuclear giant Areva said on Monday its first half net profit plunged 79 percent as it took a charge of 550 million euros (787 million dollars) on a reactor being built in Finland.
Net profit fell to 161 million euros from 760 million euros in the six months to June 2008.
Operating profit tumbled 97 percent to 16 million euros.
The company said delays on the third generation reactor it is building at Olkiluoto in western Finland forced it to take another provision, bringing the total to 2.3 billion euros.
The reactor was originally budgeted at 3.0 billion euros but the project is running three years behind schedule, with operations likely to start in the second half of 2012.
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