French nuclear group Areva (CEI.FR) and U.S. power company Duke Energy Corp. (DUK) are expected to announce later Thursday that they are to enter exclusive negotiations over plans to build a 1,650-megawatt nuclear power plant in southern Ohio, an Areva spokeswoman confirmed Thursday.

The spokeswoman said the deal should be signed later Thursday.

The selected site of Piketon in Ohio is federally owned land and houses a former uranium enrichment facility owned by USEC Inc. (USU).

The site is dedicated to 'green' energies, with partners also including Unistar Nuclear Energy, a joint venture of France's Electricite de France SA (EDF.FR) and US Constellation Energy Inc. (CEG).

-By Alice Dore, Dow Jones Newswires; +33 1 4017 1740; alice.dore@dowjones.com