EDF on Monday announced the sale of a 20 per cent stake in British Energy to Centrica of the UK, in a deal that would value the French group’s recently acquired nuclear operator at close to 6 per cent less than the £12.4bn it paid last year.

Centrica will pay £2.3bn ($3bn) for a smaller stake in British Energy than expected. It had agreed to take a stake of up to 25 per cent, but came under fire from some shareholders concerned that it could be over-paying.