By Matthew Dalton

PARIS--French state-controlled power utility Électricité de France SA Thursday said a new reactor at the Flamanville nuclear power plant would cost 10.5 billion euros ($11.8 billion), significantly more than previously announced, and the reactor's startup would be delayed to the fourth quarter of 2018.

The announcement is the latest in a string of setbacks for the reactor project and Areva SA, the government-controlled company that is building the reactor.

The cost of the reactor has skyrocketed, from an original estimate of EUR3.3 billion to EU8 billion in 2012. Its start-up date had already been delayed by three years to 2017.

Write to Matthew Dalton at matthew.dalton@wsj.com

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(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 03, 2015 03:27 ET (07:27 GMT)