In electricity generation, EDF Energy seeks to secure value from its existing nuclear, coal and gas assets through continued operational excellence and safe, reliable generation. This includes optimising the operations of the West Burton B combined-cycle gas power station and the remaining lifetime value of West Burton A coal power station, which has UK capacity agreements until September 2021, beyond which EDF Energy continues to examine its options, whilst supporting UKGovernment policy aimed at ceasing coal-fired generation by 2024.
EDF Energy is decommissioning the Cottam coal power station that closed in 2019, with a people plan to preserve and develop its capabilities as the business evolves from generation to decommissioning.
The same transformation challenge is faced by EDF Energy’s fleet of nuclear advanced gas-cooled reactors (AGRs). Since 2009, EDF Energy has extended the lifetime of itsAGR fleet by an average of 8 years. Yet due to non-replaceable major components, there is a technical limit to AGR lifetimes. During 2020, EDF Energy announced the end of power generation at Hunterston and Hinkley Point B AGR stations, from no later than 7 January 2022 and 15 July 2022, respectively. Once the stations stop generating power, the company intends to take on defueling them.
As the AGR fleet approaches its lifetime limit, EDF Energy aims to optimise the end-of-life value and to transform to support new defueling activity (funded by theNuclear Liabilities Fund – NLF), building on its expertise in operating the UK’s nuclear power stations, whilst continuing to focus on safe and reliable operations of Sizewell B pressurized water reactor and leveraging capabilities and skills to support new nuclear.
In partnership with China General Nuclear Corporation (CGN), EDF is building two new nuclear units (3.2GW capacity in total) at Hinkley Point in Somerset, based on the EPR technology. EDF Energy is also working with CGN to progress a similar3.2GW EPR project at Sizewell in Suffolk, the UK Government having announced inDecember 2020 that it will enter talks with EDF on the funding of the project (see1.4.5.1.2.4 “Nuclear New Build business). A further new nuclear power station proposal is being developed at Bradwell-on-Sea in Essex based on CGN’s “UKHPR1000” Chinese technology.
As a part of its plans, EDF Energy is also exploring models using nuclear to produce hydrogen and heat.
1.4.5.1.2 Activities of EDF Energy
Installed capacity and output of EDF Energy in the United Kingdom - 2020
Installed capacity
in MW
12,243 MW
Nuclear (1) : 8,923 MW 73%
Coal (2) : 1,987 MW 16%
Gas (3) : 1,333 MW 11%
Production d’électricité
En TWh
51,7 TWh
Nuclear (1) : 45.7 TWh 88%
Gas (3) : 4.9 TWh 10%
Coal (2) : 1.2 TWh 2%
(1) The figures shown represent 100% of nuclear capacity and generation output, shared 80%/20% by EDF and Centrica.
(2) Coal capacity represents transmission entry capacity.
(3) Including 1.35 MW of Barkantine CHP.
NB: The values take into account rounding.
EDF Energy | 31/12/2020 | 31/12/2019 |
|---|---|---|
| EDF Energy | EDF Energy 31/12/2020 40,850 | EDF Energy 31/12/2019 44,526 |
| Electricity supplied (1)(in GWh) | Electricity supplied (1)(in GWh)31/12/2020 29,462 | Electricity supplied (1)(in GWh)31/12/2019 28,527 |
| Gas supplied (in GWh) | Gas supplied (in GWh)31/12/2020 4,837 | Gas supplied (in GWh)31/12/2019 5,043 |
| Number of residential customer accounts (in thousands) (2) | Number of residential customer accounts (in thousands) (2)31/12/2020 11,717 | Number of residential customer accounts (in thousands) (2)31/12/2019 11,834 |
| Number of employees(3) | Number of employees (3)31/12/2020 0.59 | Number of employees (3)31/12/2019 1.03 |
(1) Power supplied to final consumer including previous year metering cut-offs.
(2) Year end figure.
(3) Headcount at the end of the period, including staff on maternity leave.
(4) Total Recordable Incident Rate: Annual total combined number of Lost Time Incidents, fatalities, Restricted Work Injuries and Medical Treatment Injuries (excluding First Aid)/number of hours worked × 1,000,000. This covers all employees, agency and contractor staff. Excludes EDF Renewables UK and Hinkley Point C project. Accident Frequency Rate (AFR) for HPC is 0.081 at end December 2020.