In commercial activities, all actions in favour of energy management contribute to preserving resources. The use of recycled materials (aggregates, earth, concrete, etc.) is encouraged during major projects related to networks (ÉS, Enedis) and hydraulic, nuclear and thermal investments and the materials used are recovered (see section 3.3.2.2.6 “Conventional waste and the circular economy”). R&D is currently developing programmes to reduce the use of raw materials, such as Zinium, the Group’s spin-off company which is working on zinc-air batteries. This technology uses easily accessible and non-polluting materials.
Regarding tertiary uses, a wide-ranging travel limitation programme has been implemented by many Group entities (EDF, Edison, Citelum, NTPC, etc.) with extensive use of video-conferencing and teleworking. For EDF, the total time users spent on the LYNC tool rose from 82 million minutes to around 130 million in 2019.
The issue of the potential scarcity of certain resources is monitored for each business line concerned, which implement measures suited to each particular situation. The review focused on these themes, which is submitted to the Executive Committee, is used as a reference for prospective studies on the Group’s future activities.
Internal consumption
EDF SA is aiming to reduce electricity consumption on all service sites by 2% per year between 2018 and 2021 by reducing consumption from 152.5kWh/m2 in 2018 to 146kWh/m2 in 2021, i.e. an estimated saving of 58GWh over the period. A range of measures have been put in place to achieve this ambitious goal: increased building density, major renovation work, improved building management (LED lighting, clocks, etc.), fleet renovation by abandoning old sites and leasing high-efficiency sites. Starting with the ratio per m2 meant fleet renovation could be taken into account to calculate the savings made and, by extrapolation, the savings generated by the floor areas freed up. In 2019, results were on target to hit the goal with consumption of 149.1kWh/m2 (i.e. -2.2%).
Group-wide actions (videos, in-house social network posts) to raise awareness of the saving of resources (energy, water, plastic, including distribution of water bottles to employees to avoid the use of single-use plastic bottles) are regularly organised.
Paper
Since 2012, EDF has implemented a policy with two types of measures to reduce paper consumption:
Development of e-billing for domestic customers, replacing paper bills: this development is boosted by the adoption of the French Pacte law, which allows energy suppliers to offer customers e-billing by default (with an opt out), in May 2019.
Setting of an office paper purchasing reduction goal: in four years, EDF’s annual printout volume was halved, falling from 400 million pages in 2015 to 200 million in 2019. The 2017-2019 profit-sharing agreement included a sustainable development and digital criterion based on the criterion, which was worth 10% of the overall eligibility score, of a 15% fall in the annual percentage of the number of printouts on all connected printers. A number of measures were implemented to encourage staff to reduce paper printing: fewer printers, removal of individual printers, default double-sided printing, generalisation of secure print with password and, finally, on some sites, targeted and encrypted campaigns are carried out. The target was exceeded first in 2017 (-19%), then in 2018 (-15.4%), and again in 2019 (-18%). In addition, 100% of the paper used is FSC (recyclable and carbon neutral) paper that carries the EU Ecolabel.
3.3.2.2.5 Radioactive waste
France has a strict legislative and regulatory framework that regulates the industrial management of radioactive waste and materials, stipulates any necessary add-ons and improvements, and secures financing of all these measures. The PNGMDR (French national radioactive materials and waste management plan) is a key part of this programme. Coordinated by the DGEC (French General Directorate for Energy & Climate) and the ASN (French Nuclear Safety Authority), the PNGMDR publishes guidelines on the management of radioactive materials and waste in France, and identifies any studies, actions and development work required on units or facilities. Stakeholders (including associations) are involved in this work.
For the first time, a public debate was held in 2019 to examine the 19-21 PNGMDR (5th edition)(1).
EDF, which plays an active role in managing its waste, has set up an industrial operational waste and dismantling management programme, which already enables secure management of all waste from nuclear electrical generation, respecting both the environment and the health of local populations and staff alike. EDF is continuing to work to improve this programme to optimise this management. In particular, EDF endeavours to reduce the quantities and harmfulness of waste produced “at the source” through waste zoning design, optimisation and adjustment, defining and optimising soil and structural decontamination operations in accordance with ASN guides, and developing and promoting good operating practices, taking advantage of the PWR reactor unit fleet effect. In addition, Centraco’s fusion and incineration facilities help to further reduce stored waste volumes.
Regarding metal materials with activity well below safety thresholds, EDF is in favour of the alignment of French regulations with the European regulatory framework (“release” thresholds) to authorise, after processing and checking at a dedicated facility, conventional recycling of a significant proportion of metal materials from decommissioning operations. Currently, in France, all waste from a “potential nuclear waste generation zone”, irrespective of its level of activity, is considered as radioactive waste and cannot be recycled outside the nuclear industry.
EDF, an environmentally-friendly business
- 2019: 304(United Kingdom : volume of low level radioactive waste generated (m3)
- 2019: 444(France: volume of long-lived high and intermediate level solid radioactive waste (m3)
- 2018: 474 (United Kingdom : volume of low level radioactive waste generated (m3)
- 2018: 315(France: volume of long-lived high and intermediate level solid radioactive waste (m3)
- 2017 :453 (United Kingdom : volume of low level radioactive waste generated (m3)
- 2017: 300(France: volume of long-lived high and intermediate level solid radioactive waste (m3)
Key non-financial performance indicator (see concordance table with the non-financial performance statement in section 8.5.4). For the scope and methodology of this indicator, see section 3.4 “Indicators and methodology”. This indicator refers to key stake no. 4 “Management of radioactive waste and plant decommissioning” described in section 3.6.2 “Description of key stake in the materiality matrix”.
For a detailed description, see section 1.4.1.1.4 “The nuclear fuel cycle and related issues”; see also section 3.4.1 “Indicators”.
(1) See section 1.4.1.1.4 “The nuclear fuel cycle and related issues”.