PARIS: French state-controlled nuclear firm Areva postponed the publication of its results oafter securing a 1.1 billion euro ($1.2 billion) bridging loan to make an upcoming bond repayment.

Le Monde newspaper said the government had strong-armed six reluctant banks — Societe Generale, Credit Agricole, BNP Paribas, Natixis, Credit Mutuel and HSBC — into extending the credit line, citing unidentified sources.

BNP and SocGen declined to comment, while the other banks could not immediately be reached.

Without the credit, Areva’s board could not sign off on the 2015 accounts in the certainty that the firm could continue as a going concern, as it lacked the funds to meet a 975 million euro bond repayment on Sept. 23.

A promised 5 billion euro capital increase from the state and an estimated 1.25 billion from the sale of at least half of Areva’s reactor division to state-controlled utility EDF will not enter its books before year-end.

CGT union member Bruno Blanchon said Areva had been looking at a bridging loan from a banking consortium or a loan from its state shareholder, but the government had waited until Tuesday to make its position clear.

He added the loan would have to be repaid by January 2017, while the government wanted it to run until June 2017, after the May presidential election.

Areva is expected to post an annual net loss on Friday, for a fifth year in a row, due to provisions for a restructuring plan announced in May and ballooning costs for its long-delayed nuclear reactor project in Finland.

Areva said in a statement on Thursday its board had decided to delay the closing of its financial accounts for 2015 for 24 hours to finalize the technical documentation of the bridging loan from six banks.

“There is no negative consequence in our view. It is one more step on the path to recovery for the company,” a spokeswoman for Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron said.

Once the jewel in France’s nuclear crown, Areva said in January it planned a 5 billion euro capital increase to restore its finances and expected the takeover of its reactor division by fellow state utility EDF to be finalized in 2017.

Trading in Areva shares was suspended before the stock market opened in Paris.

Debt traders said Areva’s short-dated debt was helped by the loan news as it had reassured the market about the company’s ability to cover repayments this year.

They said Areva’s 975 million euro 3.875 percent 2016 note rose a full point to 99.30 but its 1 billion euro 4.875 percent 2024 note slumped from 79 to 76.60.

EDF is buying between 51 and 75 percent of Areva’s reactor business and will make a binding offer once arrangements have been made to immunize EDF against costs and risks related to Areva’s Olkiluoto 3 (OL3) reactor project in Finland.

The EPR reactor Areva is building there is billions over budget and years behind schedule and the subject of an arbitration suit in which Areva and its Finnish client TVO are claiming billions from one another.