Universal Registration Document 2020

Note 28 Provisions related to nuclear generation – back-end of the nuclear cycle, plant decommissioning and last cores

The provisions established by EDF for the nuclear generation fleet principally result from the Law of 28 June 2006 on long-term management of radioactive materials and waste, and the associated implementing provisions concerning secure financing of nuclear expenses.

In compliance with the accounting principles described in note 1.15.1:

EDF books provisions to cover all obligations related to the nuclear facilities it operates;
EDF also holds dedicated assets for secure financing of long-term obligations (see note 38).

The calculation of provisions incorporates a level of risks and unknowns that depend on the operations concerned. The valuation of costs also carries uncertainty factors as described in note 1.2.2.

Details of changes in provisions for the back-end of the nuclear cycle, decommissioning and last cores are as follows:

		Increases		Decreases		Other changes ⁽³⁾
(in millions of euros)	31/12/2019	Operating ⁽¹⁾	Financial ⁽²⁾	Utilisations ⁽¹⁾	Reversals ⁽¹⁾		31/12/2020
Provisions for spent fuel management	Provisions for spent fuel management 10,823	Provisions for spent fuel management Increases 625	Provisions for spent fuel management Decreases 626	Provisions for spent fuel management Other changes ⁽³⁾ (744)	Provisions for spent fuel management -	(8)	11,322
amount unrelated to the operating cycle	amount unrelated to the operating cycle 1,152	amount unrelated to the operating cycle Increases 65	amount unrelated to the operating cycle Decreases 109	amount unrelated to the operating cycle Other changes ⁽³⁾(14)	amount unrelated to the operating cycle -	(15)	1,297
amount outside the scope of the Law of 28 June 2006^*	amount outside the scope of the Law of 28 June 2006^* 1,019	amount outside the scope of the Law of 28 June 2006^* Increases 41	amount outside the scope of the Law of 28 June 2006^* Decreases 51	amount outside the scope of the Law of 28 June 2006^* Other changes ⁽³⁾(35)	amount outside the scope of the Law of 28 June 2006^* -	-	1,076
Provisions for waste removal and conditioning	Provisions for waste removal and conditioning 805	Provisions for waste removal and conditioning Increases 6	Provisions for waste removal and conditioning Decreases 46	Provisions for waste removal and conditioning Other changes ⁽³⁾ (25)	Provisions for waste removal and conditioning -	(832)	-
Provisions for long-term radioactive waste management	Provisions for long-term radioactive waste management 10,531	Provisions for long-term radioactive waste management Increases 101	Provisions for long-term radioactive waste management Decreases 1,016	Provisions for long-term radioactive waste management Other changes ⁽³⁾ (221)	Provisions for long-term radioactive waste management -	1,873	13,300
Provisions for the back-end of the nuclear cycle	Provisions for the back-end of the nuclear cycle 22,159	Provisions for the back-end of the nuclear cycle Increases 732	Provisions for the back-end of the nuclear cycle Decreases 1,688	Provisions for the back-end of the nuclear cycleOther changes ⁽³⁾(990)	Provisions for the back-end of the nuclear cycle -	1,033	24,622
Provisions for the back-end of the nuclear cycle within the scope of the Law of 28 June 2006^*	Provisions for the back-end of the nuclear cycle within the scope of the Law of 28 June 2006^* 21,140	Provisions for the back-end of the nuclear cycle within the scope of the Law of 28 June 2006^* Increases 691	Provisions for the back-end of the nuclear cycle within the scope of the Law of 28 June 2006^* Decreases 1,637	Provisions for the back-end of the nuclear cycle within the scope of the Law of 28 June 2006^*Other changes ⁽³⁾(955)	Provisions for the back-end of the nuclear cycle within the scope of the Law of 28 June 2006^* -	1,033	23,546
Provisions for the back-end of the nuclear cycle outside the scope of the Law of 28 June 2006^*	Provisions for the back-end of the nuclear cycle outside the scope of the Law of 28 June 2006^* 1,019	Provisions for the back-end of the nuclear cycle outside the scope of the Law of 28 June 2006^* Increases 41	Provisions for the back-end of the nuclear cycle outside the scope of the Law of 28 June 2006^* Decreases 51	Provisions for the back-end of the nuclear cycle outside the scope of the Law of 28 June 2006^*Other changes ⁽³⁾(35)	Provisions for the back-end of the nuclear cycle outside the scope of the Law of 28 June 2006^* -	-	1,076
Provisions for nuclear plant decommissioning	Provisions for nuclear plant decommissioning 16,937	Provisions for nuclear plant decommissioning Increases 133	Provisions for nuclear plant decommissioning Decreases 780	Provisions for nuclear plant decommissioning Other changes ⁽³⁾ (157)	Provisions for nuclear plant decommissioning (24)	(180)	17,489
Provisions for last cores	Provisions for last cores 2,624	Provisions for last cores Increases -	Provisions for last cores Decreases 94	Provisions for last cores Other changes ⁽³⁾ (99)	Provisions for last cores -	92	2,711
Provisions for decommissioning and last cores	Provisions for decommissioning and last cores 19,561	Provisions for decommissioning and last cores Increases 133	Provisions for decommissioning and last cores Decreases 874	Provisions for decommissioning and last coresOther changes ⁽³⁾(256)	Provisions for decommissioning and last cores (24)	(88)	20,200
TOTAL PROVISIONS RELATED TO NUCLEAR GENERATION	TOTAL PROVISIONS RELATED TO NUCLEAR GENERATION 41,720	TOTAL PROVISIONS RELATED TO NUCLEAR GENERATION Increases 865	TOTAL PROVISIONS RELATED TO NUCLEAR GENERATION Decreases 2,562	TOTAL PROVISIONS RELATED TO NUCLEAR GENERATIONOther changes ⁽³⁾(1,246)	TOTAL PROVISIONS RELATED TO NUCLEAR GENERATION (24)	945	44,822
Provisions related to nuclear generation within the scope of the Law of 28 June 2006^*	Provisions related to nuclear generation within the scope of the Law of 28 June 2006^* 40,701	Provisions related to nuclear generation within the scope of the Law of 28 June 2006^* Increases 824	Provisions related to nuclear generation within the scope of the Law of 28 June 2006^* Decreases 2,511	Provisions related to nuclear generation within the scope of the Law of 28 June 2006^*Other changes ⁽³⁾(1,211)	Provisions related to nuclear generation within the scope of the Law of 28 June 2006^* (24)	945	43,746
Provisions related to nuclear generation outside the scope of the Law of 28 June 2006^*	Provisions related to nuclear generation outside the scope of the Law of 28 June 2006^* 1,019	Provisions related to nuclear generation outside the scope of the Law of 28 June 2006^* Increases 41	Provisions related to nuclear generation outside the scope of the Law of 28 June 2006^* Decreases 51	Provisions related to nuclear generation outside the scope of the Law of 28 June 2006^*Other changes ⁽³⁾(35)	Provisions related to nuclear generation outside the scope of the Law of 28 June 2006^* -	-	1,076

* Scope of application of the law of 28 June 2006 on the sustainable management of radioactive materials and waste and its application concerning secure financing of nuclear expenses. The provisions that do not fall within the scope of this law are provisions for the back-end of the nuclear cycle concerning non-EDF installations (see below).

(1) See notes 6 and 11.2.

(2) The discount effect comprises the €1,520 million cost of unwinding the discount, and the effects of the change of real discount rate in 2020, recognised via the income statement for provisions with no related assets (€1,042 million) (cost of unwinding the discount).

(3) Other changes mainly include:

the effects of the change of real discount rate at 31 December 2020 for provisions with related assets (€707 million);
reclassification of €841 million previously included in provisions for waste removal and conditioning and €813 million previously included in provisions for nuclear plant decommissioning (corresponding to the cost of interim storage and processing of steam generators in a centralised facility) as provisions for long-term radioactive waste management, to ensure consistency with the most recent official breakdown of nuclear expenses in defined operations attached to the amended ministerial order of 21 March 2007 on secure financing of nuclear expenses.

Universal Registration Document 2020

6. Financial statements

Note 28 Provisions related to nuclear generation – back-end of the nuclear cycle, plant decommissioning and last cores