CVC is set to cement its position as the world's most active private equity bidder, with the emergence that the UK firm has entered the fray for the €4bn ($5.9bn) auction of a division of a French nuclear group.

According to newswire Bloomberg, CVC has joined forces with General Electric to bid for Areva's transmission and distribution division. GE and Areva declined to comment. CVC did not respond to request for comment.