Development of smart charging
In the field of smart charging and more specifically Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G), EDF, the Occitanie region, ADDOC and ADEME (i.e. the French Environmental & EnergyManagement Agency) launched the “Flexitanie” project with the aim of carrying out large-scale testing of a V2G two-way charging station management service in autumn 2020 with the specific aim of understanding customer expectations and perceptions and analysing potential synergies with renewable energy production. The first charging stations will be installed in the Gard region by IZIVIA, using technology developed by DREEV, a joint venture set up by EDF and the Californian start-up Nuvve. They will be able to supply a fleet of one hundred 100% -electric Nissan electric vehicles owned by a dozen industrial customers across the region and will supply the equivalent of a 1MW production plant.
The September 2019 acquisition of PowerFlex Systems (PowerFlex), a pioneering company in the field of electric vehicle charging technologies, based in Los Altos in California, enables the creation of a unique decentralised energy ecosystem combining smart charging solutions for electric vehicles or building energy charging solutions, as well as solar energy production and storage systems.
Assisting customers
The EDF group is assisting all its customers in France with their transition to low-carbon mobility by providing a comprehensive range of solutions for all uses: residential customers living in detached homes or apartments, and local authorities.
EDF believes that the development of electric mobility will require mobilisation of the ecosystem. A number of partnerships have been developed with stakeholders in the sector (manufacturers, equipment manufacturers, leasers, leasing companies, charging station manufacturers) to propose custom electric mobility solutions. In early2020, Edison Energia signed a contract with Toyota Italia to install and operate charging stations in approximately 200 Toyota dealerships. In March 2020, EDF committed with ARVAL to facilitating access to electric mobility for both business and residential customers, based on IZI by EDF. In September 2020, IZIVIA and IZI by EDF signed a partnership agreement with Uber to facilitate access to charging stations for drivers across France through the IZIVIA pass and the installation of home charging stations. In December 2020, BMW and Luminus signed a strategic partnership agreement enabling BMW customers to take out a green energy or photovoltaic installation contract including a charging station installed by Luminus.
EDF’s commitment for its vehicle fleet
The EDF group is the first French group to sign the “EV100”, which aims at having a fleet of 100% electric light vehicles by 2030. Of its fleet of light vehicles, which currently includes more than 45,000 vehicles worldwide (mainly in Europe), more than 12.2% (over 5,500 electric vehicles, 1,700 more vehicles since end 2019) is already electric. This Group project includes both the vehicles and charging infrastructure divisions (more than 2,400 sites to be equipped across the world by 2030).
Electric vehicles rate in the fleet of light vehicles (%)
2018 : 6.1
2019 : 8.6
2020 : 12.2
Target 2030 : 100
Key non-financial performance indicator
The methodology for this indicator is set out in detail in section 3.7.2.2"Details on performance indicators".
3.1.4.3.4 Reducing carbon impact using hydrogen solutions
In 2050, hydrogen will account for 20% of worldwide final energy demand(1). But 95% of hydrogen is currently produced from fossil energy, meaning it emits high levels of CO2. In 2019, EDF decided to set up Hynamics, a new fully-owned subsidiary, with the aim of becoming a leading producer of carbon-free hydrogen through electrolysis of water, as this technology emits very little CO2, provided that the electricity used is itself produced using a low-carbon system.
Hynamics aims to achieve the goal of achieving a carbon-free economy by targeting segments of industry and transport that emit large quantities of CO2 and are hard to serve with low-carbon electricity (refineries, chemical and cement production facilities, buses, trains, sea and river shuttles, aeronautics, etc.). Based on its investor and operator/maintainer model, it offers turnkey solutions to its customers in France and more generally in Europe.
In August 2020, the JV Westküste100, in which Hynamics is a 24% shareholder, was awarded €15 million in aid to install a 30MW electrolyser, one of Europe’s biggest, on the Heide refinery site in Schleswig Holstein as part of the German Real labor programme. Hynamics also successfully bid on mobility-related ADEME (French Environmental & Energy Management Agency) calls for projects to supply energy for buses, respectively in Montpellier and Auxerre(2).
At the end of 2020, Hynamics announced the signing by its project company CP3 of a partnership agreement with the Auxerre municipal authorities and Transdev Auxerrois to install a 1MW-capacity electrolysis-based green hydrogen production plant (commissioning scheduled for autumn 2012) to supply energy for 5 urban transport network buses.
3.1.4.3.5 Reducing carbon impact using self-produced energy solutions
On this growing market, several Group subsidiaries can propose solutions to their business or residential customers.
- the EDF Renewables subsidiary enables customers to use the energy generated by their own solar panels and store some of it for use when needed. The solution enables customers to maximise their self-produced energy rate, monitor their energy use online in real time, meaning they can control their energy spending (see section 1.4.1.3.3 “Activities of EDF Renewables”);
- EDF Store & Forecast, develops and markets a software solution for energy optimisation of local electricity systems through energy forecasting and storage.EDF adapts its Energy Management System to its customers’ facilities for smart and independent management including the management of the variability of renewable energies, services to the electricity system, economic optimisation of the demand/supply balance, maximisation of self-produced energy and reduction of energy bills.
3.1.4.3.6 Management of intermittence, flexibility and storage development
Aggregation
Agregio is a subsidiary of the Group which serves electricity producers with renewable generation capacities, and companies with load-shedding capacities, which they can promote in the electricity markets in the best possible manner. For electricity producers, Agregio offers tailored solutions to optimise and sell their production on the markets. Agregio is also aimed at industrial and tertiary consumers, who are willing to reduce or shift their use in exchange for compensation, according to the needs of the electricity system.
In 2019, Agregio signed, for the first time in France, a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA)(3) based on a wind farm. The PPA technique, which is widespread in the United States, is starting to be rolled out in Europe: this solution can favour the development of renewable energy by enabling producers to guarantee their income over several years, and customers to know the origin of part of their supply.
(1) See the 2018 Afhypac report.
(2) See EDF group press release of 17 December 2020.
(3) A PPA is a long-term electricity delivery agreement between two parties (the energy producer and the end user purchaser, or market stakeholder) with price visibility covering the entire term of the contract.