EDF Renewables continued to expand in solar power with a view to rebalancing different technologies. At end 2020, gross installed solar capacity was 3,562.6MWp(1,789.7MWp net), up by 796.6MWp net i.e. 29%, compared to end 2019.
EDF Renewables also has a portfolio of solar projects under construction of3,816.6MWp gross.
EDF Renewables has structured its policy for contributing to the Solar Plan launched by the Group in December 2017 and aimed at making EDF one of the leaders in solar photovoltaic energy in France, with a 30% market share by 2035. In order to step up its growth in solar power, EDF is implementing a strategy covering all market segments, based on an integrated development model for projects up to their operation, the quest for industrial excellence and continued investment in innovation. This strategy leverages EDF’s research and development and the territorial networking of EDF’s teams dedicated to local authorities and businesses.The lands targeted as a priority are sites referred to as “damaged”, i.e. industrial wastelands, polluted, abandoned or former quarry sites, which can be rehabilitated with the development of photovoltaic projects.
Since announcing its Solar Plan, EDF has successfully completed the preparatory phase and commissioning of the Plan. In 2019, EDF Renewables acquired the LUXELGroup, an independent solar energy player in France, thus expanding its portfolio of operational and projected solar farms. In 2020, EDF Renewables positioned itself as one of the top three developers of ground-mounted solar projects by being awarded a total of 190MWp of capacity in calls for tender organised by the CRE (26MWp inApril in the Haut-Rhin 2 call for tender; 41MWp in April in the “CRE 4.7” call fort ender; 8MWp in April in the “ZNI” call for tender; 105MWp in October in the“CRE 4.8” call for tender; and 11MWp in December in the “Innovation” call fort ender). Furthermore, EDF’s portfolio of solar projects in France includes 492MWp of authorised projects and 2,500MWp of projects for which land had been secured as of the end of 2020.
Innovation also supports the development of solar power, notably in the form of projects for floating power plants. Lazer, the first floating solar plant of the EDF group on the Buëch, in the Hautes Alpes, was selected for the ground-based solar call for tenders launched by the Ministry of Ecological and Solidarity Transition. Solar panels of a maximum power of 20MWp will be installed on 24 hectares on the hydroelectric reservoir i.e. three-quarters of the water body’s total area.
Some projects include a crowdfunding campaign, enabling the inhabitants of a region to be involved with the funding of the projects in question. Examples include two solar power plants, Ambes (9MW) and Artix (4MW), with a campaign aimed at raising €200,000 from inhabitants of Gironde and Pyrénées-Atlantiques. Another example concerns three solar power plants to be commissioned in 2021 located in the municipalities of Lagnieu, Loyettes, and Samognat. A total of €300,000 was raised through the Lendosphere digital investment platform.
EDF Renewables and Nucor Corporation, a diversified steel company, signed a15-year power purchase agreement for 250MWac of solar energy in Texas. The project is due to be commissioned in the second quarter of 2023.
EDF Renewables North America and Geenex Solar signed an agreement for aport folio of 4.5 gigawatts of solar projects at various stages of development in theUnited States(1).
At the end of the year, the North American subsidiary also commissioned two solar power plants, Maverick 1 and 4, for a total of almost 310MW. These facilities are located in California.
2020 was the year when EDF Renewables launched into ground-mounted solar power in the United Kingdom, with the development of various solar projects and the signature of a partnership with Octo Energy. The aim is to identify sites inEngland and Wales with a view to developing hybrid solar projects and storage.
In October 2019, EDF Renewables signed three Power Purchase Agreement (PPAs)with Tesco, one of the leading retail chains in the United Kingdom. These three agreements are for a total volume of 60MW of installed capacity from 17 roof-mounted solar systems under construction in the UK.
In 2020, EDF Renewables continued its development in Ireland with the acquisition of Wexford Solar Limited and a portfolio of over 100MW of solar projects. In addition, EDF Renewables was awarded 30MW of projects in the summer of 2020.
EDF Renewables is continuing its development in solar power in Greece, being awarded 80MW of projects in 2020 (80MW in 2019).
EDF Renewables is developing its solar power business in India through EDENRenewables India, a joint subsidiary created for this purpose in 2016 by EDFRenewables and Total EREN (formerly EREN Renewable Energy). In 2019, EDEN signed four electricity sales contracts in northern India for total capacity of 716MWp,450MW of which were under construction in 2020.
In 2020, EDEN was awarded three solar plant projects for a total of 1,350MW inRajasthan, northern India(2).
EDF Renewables joined the consortium led by Masdar to develop the “DEWA III”project which is the third phase (800MWac) of one of the most powerful solar farm projects in the world, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum solar farm, which is being developed in partnership with Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA)near Dubai. The plant was commissioned in three stages (2018, 2019, and 2020).
In July 2020, the consortium formed by EDF Renewables and Chinese company Jinko Power Technology Co. Ltd. won the call for tender for the Al Dhafra solar power project(3). The future solar power plant will be located 35 kilometres south of the city of Abu Dhabi. With installed capacity of 2GW, it will be the most powerful in the world, supplying electricity to the equivalent of 160,000 local households each year.At the end of the year, the consortium finalised the funding of the project for approximately one billion dollars.
In 2019, EDF Renewables, in a consortium with Masdar and Green of Africa, successfully bid for the first phase of the Noor Midelt I solar project in Morocco, using a hybrid solar-storage technology that is a world first. This hybrid solar project with installed capacity of 800MW innovatively combines two technologies: concentrated solar power (CSP) and photovoltaic solar power.
As an integrated operator, EDF Renewables operates and maintains most of its own wind and solar facilities. Dedicated first and foremost to EDF group wind and solar assets, this activity is also carried out on behalf of third parties. Worldwide, EDF Renewables operates 17GW at end-December 2020 with nearly 1,200 experts, engineers and technicians across nine countries. EDF Renewables has long been active in the operation-maintenance field in North America where it manages close to 13GW. The business in Europe and the rest of the world exceeds 4GW at end 2020.
This activity is driven by commissioning new plants and choosing which facilities to operate on a case-by-case basis according to technology and region. The aim is to achieve maximum efficiency in every facility in conjunction with providers throughout the expected or extended useful life of equipment.
Accordingly, EDF Renewables recently set up a predictive maintenance oversight centre (e-Diagnostic Center) drawing on specific in-house expertise centralised and coordinated with the EDF group’s R&D Department. It complements the facility remote monitoring and control system made up of three real-time oversight centres in Colombiers (France), Emden (Germany) and San Diego (California).
(1) See EDF Renewables' press release dated 16 October 2020.
(2) See EDF Renewables’ press release dated 1 October 2020 “EDEN Renewables India increases its portfolio with 1,350MWp of new solar photovoltaic power plants”.
(3) See EDF Renewables’ press release dated 27 July 2020 “EDF – Jinko Power consortium is awarded the world’s largest solar project in Abu Dhabi”.
