The Group is also present in Senegal, through the ERA company, the operator of the rural electrification concession in Kaffrine-Tambacounda-Kédougou (see also section 1.4.5.3.9 “Off-grid energy”). In 2019, EDFI acquired the 30% stake held by Matforce in ERA, thereby becoming its sole shareholder.
It is also present through a service contract involving generation with an independent power producer and several service contracts through its subsidiary EDF International Networks, responsible for implementing contracts to improve the performance and ensure the reliability of the local operator Senelec distribution network.
Nachtigal Hydro Power Company (NHPC), owned by EDF (40%), IFC (20%), the Republic of Cameroon (15%), Africa 50 (15%) and STOA (10%) has begun construction of the Nachtigal 420 MW hydropower dam, situated on the Sanaga River, close to Yaoundé on 1 February 2019. In July 2016, Nachtigal Hydro Power Company was created to assist with the project and signed a Concession Agreement for Electricity Generation in April 2017. The Nachtigal financial closing was completed on 24 December 2018. The first loan drawdown took place in January 2019.
The Nachtigal hydroelectric power plant is a size able project for the country and will, on commissioning, be the most important generation resource in Cameroon. It aims at providing around one third of the electricity needs and generating numerous economic benefits for the local economy.
EDF International Networks, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the EDF group, opened a branch in September 2017 to further develop its activities in the country in support of SNE.
The EDF group entered into the renewable energy generation market in Egypt. In August 2019 EDF Renewables, in a 50/50 partnership with the Egyptian company Elsewedy, financed, built, and commissioned two 65 MWp photovoltaic plants, both in Benban, near Aswan. These projects will benefit from a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for a period of 25 years (see section 1.4.1.5.4 “EDF Renewables”).
In 2019, EDF Renewables took out a strategic stake in Karm Solar, a major player on the emerging market for privately-produced solar power in Egypt. Karm Solar has a portfolio of 170 MW of operational solar power plants and plants under construction or development (see also section 1.4.1.5.4 “EDF Renewables”).
EDF provides consultancy services for EETC on the extension of the Egyptian Transmission network; performance of two consultancy calls for tender won in 2017 is ongoing, one with Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) for engineering and supervising construction of the dispatcher in the Delta, the other with Egyptian Electricity Holding Company (EEHC) to manage the deployment of 53,000 smart meters, implemented by subsidiary EDF International Networks in a consortium led by French industrial company Sagemcom and including the Egyptian company Globaltronics. In June 2019, EETC awarded EDF an OTC agreement for the supervision of engineering and construction of the new national dispatcher, which will be located in the new administrative capital of Egypt.
Since the mid-1990s, the EDF group has been present in Egypt in Exploration and Production (E&P) of oil & gas through its subsidiary Edison. A process to dispose of Edison E&P is in progress (see also section 1.4.5.2.3.2 “Gas - Italy – Activities in the gas sector”).
EDF group is developing the “Biovéa” project for a biomass electricity power plant with two 23MW units in partnership with SIFCA, an Ivorian agro-industrial group in West Africa, and Meridiam, an investment firm which joined the project in January 2018. This project is already included in Côte d’Ivoire’s development masterplan. An agreement on the selling price for electricity was entered into with the State of Côte d’Ivoire on 30 November 2017; the concession agreement with the State was signed on 9 December 2019. The final investment decision is targeted for March 2020.
In August 2016, the Group created a local subsidiary to support its development strategy in Côte d’Ivoire.
In October 2016, EDF created the ZECI company, a joint-venture with the US company Off Grid Electric (OGE), now known as “Zola Electric”, for the deployment of an off grid energy project for rural and peri-urban populations (see also section 1.4.5.3.9 “Off-grid energy”).
In October 2017, the EDF group opened a local branch to support its development strategy in this country. It is also present in Ghana through the ZEGHA company (see also section 1.4.5.3.9 “Off-grid energy”).
The EDF group engages in development and project monitoring activities in the Middle East, and has a regional office based in the United Arab Emirates covering business in the region.
In addition, the Group has offices in Qatar (Doha), Saudi Arabia (Riyadh), Lebanon(Beirut), Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi and Dubai).
These offices manage the commercial activities and projects in these various countries.
The area’s major projects are in the UAE with the customer DEWA (responsible for water and electricity in the city of Dubai):
The EDF group has sought to establish a long-term relationship with Nawah, the operator of the Barakah nuclear plant in the UAE. On 21 November 2018, EDF and Nawah signed a long-term master agreement under which EDF will assist the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) subsidiary with the operation and maintenance of the Barakah plant through various services such as safety, radiation protection, fuel cycle management and environmental monitoring.
Another major engineering consultancy project for customers Kahramaa (water and electricity in Qatar) is currently being conducted in Doha, along with the construction of substations and high-voltage power line networks (this project being part of“phase 13”).
In 2014, in Saudi Arabia, the EDF group signed a partnership agreement with the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC), the country’s benchmark electricity operator, enabling a broad cooperation between the two groups, including training initiatives. In the extension of this agreement, the two GOC “Generation, Optimisation Center”contracts signed in 2016 and 2019 provide for support by EDF for the implementation of regional generation optimisation centres.
In addition, via its subsidiary EDF Renewables in partnership with Masdar, EDF won a2019 call for tender for the financing, construction, and operation of the first wind power project in Saudi Arabia, with installed power of 400MW, at Dumat Al Jandal (see section 1.4.1.5.4 “EDF Renewables”).
The EDF group has been present in Israel since 2010 through its subsidiary EDF Renewables, which operates photovoltaic power projects connected to the grid with gross installed capacity of 295MW, and launched in 2018 the construction of an additional 87MW. EDF Renewables Israel won four State calls for tender in 2019 for over 170 MWp, to be constructed by 2021 (see section 1.4.1.5.4 “EDF Renewables”).
Furthermore, EDF Hydro’s Hydraulic engineering centre supplies services to the first Israeli project for the storage of electricity through pumping, on Mount Gilboa.
The EDF group has 15 years’ experience in off-grid power area in Africa via companies created for that purpose based on territorial concessions. Since 2017, the EDF group has joined forces with innovative start-ups to supply power and services to customers in rural areas and on urban outskirts in line with their income and needs.Solutions include supplying power to central grids, installing mini grids and providing solar power kits.
Such services enable thousands of people in South Africa, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Senegal and Togo to light and power their low-consumption household appliances such as a television or a radio, or to recharge their mobile phones. Customers in Kenya can buy solar-powered water pumps and thereby significantly improve their crop yields.
