The electricity hydro-generated by EDF in mainland France in 2019 (including pumped storage) totalled 39.7TWh, 9% of its total electricity output.
Hydroelectricity is the second source of electricity generation after nuclear power and the first source of renewable electricity in France. This is an important sector for the electricity system for many reasons, particularly in terms of grid security and balancing.
EDF SA’s hydropower fleet(1) in mainland France is constituted of 432 plants at the end of 2019 with an average age of 75 years(2) :
| Hydropower plants | 31/12/2019 | 31/12/2018 |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL MAXIMUM CAPACITY (IN GW) | TOTAL MAXIMUM CAPACITY (IN GW)31/12/2019 20.1 | TOTAL MAXIMUM CAPACITY (IN GW)31/12/2018 20.0 |
| TOTAL OUTPUT INCLUDING PUMPING*(IN TWH) | TOTAL OUTPUT INCLUDING PUMPING *(IN TWH)31/12/2019 39.7 | TOTAL OUTPUT INCLUDING PUMPING *(IN TWH)31/12/2018 46.5 |
| Consumption by pumping operations (in TWh) | Consumption by pumping operations (in TWh)31/12/2019 6.3 | Consumption by pumping operations (in TWh)31/12/2018 7.3 |
*Corresponds to the sum of the exact values rounded to one decimal place.
EDF also operates other power plants via subsidiaries, affiliated to EDF SA or Edev. Operation of these infrastructures benefits from EDF SA’s competencies and expertise in hydropower technology.
Within mainland France, hydropower plants are mainly located in mountainous areas in the Pyrenées, the Alps, the Massif Central and the Jura, as well as on the Rhine. In all, they represent an installed capacity of approximately 20GW (excluding French overseas departments and Corsica), or 23% of EDF fleet’s installed capacity, for an annual productible energy around 40TWh.
The various hydropower facilities are designed to optimise the use of water resources in the valleys where they are situated, as part of multi-purpose water management (detailed in section 1.4.1.5.1.4 “Hydropower generation issues”). Given the size and variety of its fleet, EDF has facilities able to respond to all types of desired uses, from base to peak generation which also offer levers for optimisation due to their flexibility: “run-of-river” plants, like the ones on the Rhine, which have almost no storage capacity and generate electricity depending on the available water flow; plants with pond age, thus accessing average-sized reservoirs (smaller than lakes) for occasional use during the week or during the day, to cover peaks in demand; lake plants (seasonal reservoirs) located in mountainous areas (Alps, Massif Central and Pyrenées); pumped-storage plants, which pump water from a lower reservoir to an upper reservoir during periods of low demand when electricity is also lower in cost, in order to build up reserves used to generate energy at peak times (by releasing the stored water through turbines from the upper reservoir to the lower reservoir); and a tidal power plant on the River Rance (Brittany) which, using the up and down movement of the tides, provides a very regular supply of electricity.
| Facility category | Turbine capacity | Average generation capability over 50 years |
|---|---|---|
| Run-of-river | Run-of-river Turbine capacity 3.6GW | Run-of-river Average generation capability over 50 years 16.5TWh |
| Lake-supplied | Lake-supplied Turbine capacity 8.2GW | Lake-supplied Average generation capability over 50 years 14.5TWh |
| Pondage | Pondage Turbine capacity 3.1GW | Pondage Average generation capability over 50 years 8.1TWh |
| Pumped-storage | Pumped-storage Turbine capacity 5.0GW | Pumped-storage Average generation capability over 50 years 1.5TWh |
| Tidal | Tidal Turbine capacity 240MW | Tidal Average generation capability over 50 years 0.5TWh |
Hydropower safety comprises all the measures taken when designing and operating hydropower plants to reduce risks and hazards to people and property associated with water and the presence or operation of facilities. Hydropower safety is the major and permanent concern of the producer (see section 2.2.4 “Operational Performance”, risk factor 4B "impact on hydropower safety"). It involves three main activities:
In addition, for each of the 239 A and B class dams (categories established in French legislation based on decree 2015-526 of 12 May 2015 pertaining to applicable rules for infrastructures built or developed with a view to the prevention of flooding and safety regulations for hydraulic infrastructures, enshrined in the French Environment Code), a hazard study is carried out every ten or fifteen years (for class A and class B dams respectively). These studies consolidate a satisfactory overview of the structures and associated countermeasures(3), and include a complete assessment made using underwater equipment or by emptying the reservoir. These operations are carried out under the strict supervision of public authorities. Since 2006, the engineering programmes for the safety and performance components of the hydropower fleet in operation have continued with a high level of investment, ensuring the careful management of major safety-related activities and providing them with national visibility. The goal is the technical updating and improved maintenance of the facilities, in order to maintain a high level of hydropower safety and preserve the technical performance of the fleet over the long-term.
(1) EDF Hydro, i.e. EDF SA in mainland France, including both non-controlled and controlled subsidiaries and borderland entities
(2) Arithmetic average
(3) For further details, see the annual report of the Inspector of Hydropower Safety, available on EDF’s website.
