Universal Registration Document 2020

3. Non-financial performance

3.2.4.2 Optimisation of resources

The Group’s entities and companies are committed to a process of continuous improvement according to the principle that the “best waste” is waste that is not produced. They have action plans aimed at limiting the generation of waste integrated in the management systems’ action programmes (EDF, Dalkia, Luminus, EDF in the UK) with associated indicators (quantity of waste prevention, savings made on waste management, quantity of equipment reused, etc.). The aim is to work on reducing the Group’s internal consumption.

The mission of the “Waste and Circular Economy” Group attached to EDF’s Environmental Management System (EMS) is to avoid waste production by carrying out prevention, optimisation and recycling actions.

3.2.4.2.1 Optimisation of fuels and raw materials

The Group uses raw materials for electricity generation and to provide energy services. A significant portion of these is comprised of fuels: uranium, coal, gas, fuel-oil and biomass. Electricity consumption for generation resource auxiliaries(approximately 20TWh/year) is mainly self-produced electricity(1).

To optimise fuels and raw materials, the Group has chosen to focus on several factors:

  • variation in its generation mix: the development of renewable energies, declassification of thermal power plants, commissioning of high-efficiency combined gas cycle power plants (Edison’s Maghera Levante project is targeting the European efficiency record of 63%), use of biomass by Dalkia, modernisation of the island systems’ thermal fleet with liquid or solid biomass, and replacement of power plant motors in French overseas departments and territories;
  • the optimisation of existing facilities: improving energy efficiency or output (IES, Dalkia, EDF in the UK) through maintenance measures, modifications, fuel quality rules and more rigorous monitoring of efficiency levels or cogeneration(e-monitoring);
  • real-time selection of the most efficient means of generation: these optimisations, carried out in relation to the load curve and as a function of energy performance, are bolstered by the ISO 50001 certification of the thermal sites (Saint-Pierre andMiquelon in 2019). Dalkia uses an energy management tool to optimise energy facility fuel use and is increasing its renewable energy use rate, replacing fossil fuels;
  • the implementation of a natural uranium savings strategy: EDF’s control of each stage of the fuel cycle, the design of high-efficiency fuel and suitable management of that fuel within nuclear units all contribute to optimising natural uranium needs (see section 1.4.1.1.4 “The nuclear fuel cycle and related issues”). Recycling spent fuel enables savings of around 10% of natural uranium;
  • the feedbacks: the Group’s business model, based on managing its facilities’ full lifecycle, allows for efficient feedback as well as the implementation of eco-design initiatives developed at engineering centres, such as the EPR 2 project (optimisation of water withdrawal processes and protection of fish fauna);
  • supplier qualification and life cycle analyses: EDF Renewables, whose raw material use is related to equipment manufacture, asks turbine and panel manufacturers to provide life cycle analyses of their solar panels. In parallel, lifecycle assessments are carried out on wind farms to optimise raw material use;
  • life cycle analyses: EDF Renewables, which uses raw materials in the manufacture of its equipment, carries out life cycle analyses of its technologies (onshore and offshore wind power, photovoltaic solar power) to identify alternatives and inform technical choices;
  • industrial ecology initiatives: the Group is also developing industrial ecology initiatives among its various entities and initiatives supporting local authorities through a service based on the RECYTER tool, developed by EDF R&D, for the regional diagnosis of material and energy flows.

Consumption of different fuels fell in 2020: coal (-32%), heavy fuel oil (-6%), and gas (-12%). In France, EDF’s coal consumption increased cyclically over the year 2020 as a result of the drop in carbon-free nuclear generation and calls from the grid operator for stability in the electricity system. EDF’s gas consumption decreased by 12% due to lower electricity consumption.

In commercial activities, all actions in favour of energy management contribute to preserving resources. 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 (for information on materials and rare earths, see also section 3.2.4.3.3 “Recycling in the field of new renewable energies”).

3.2.4.2.2 Optimisation of materials

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.

Numerous large-scale projects resulting from the Grand Carénage programme have made a large number of equipment and spare parts available that can still be used. This is why EDF is testing in 2020 “EDF Reutiliz”, a digital platform for reusing materials that has been developed to reduce the consumption of resources and limit the production of new goods. It will be deployed in 2021, thus intensifying the reuse operations already deployed on the generating fleet.

3.2.4.2.3 Optimisation of internal consumption

In a energy sobriety approach, 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. Whereas in 2019 the result was in line with the objective, in result achieved in 2020 is below the target with a consumption of 149.4kWh/m2 (-0.24%), as a consequence of the constraints linked to the health crisis in terms of air renewal in buildings. Regarding tertiary uses, a wide-ranging travel limitation programme has been implemented by many Group entities with extensive use of video-conferencing and teleworking(2).

(1) Net electrical generation takes account of this self-produced energy.

(2) Furthermore, Group-wide actions (videos, in-house social network posts) to raise awareness of the saving of resources (energy, water, plastic, including distribution of waterbottles to employees to avoid the use of single-use plastic bottles) are regularly organised.