In 2020, the non-domestic segment supplied a total of 29.52TWh of electricity,1.57TWh to 214k small business customers (“SME”) and 27.95TWh to medium(7.9k) and large business (54) customers (“I&C”). The business customer electricity market in the UK is c.165.6TWh in total, making EDF Energy the largest supplier to business customers by volume.
The industry has however been impacted by Covid-19 demand reduction and increasing risk of business failure given the economic downturn. A volume reduction of 3.84TWh YoY was seen across the non-domestic electricity segment in 2020, with a combined bad debt increase of £25 million YoY.
In SME, managing the risks which have arisen from the pandemic has been the primary focus for much of 2020. Steps were taken to price-in additional risk, increase credit restrictions and limit winning higher risk sectors in order to protect EDF’s position. Despite this, SME has developed its channels as customer numbers grew c.9% in electricity and c.62% in gas this year.
Medium Business initially grew its volumes by c.0.95TWh in Q1 2020, following upon its 1.1TWh growth in 2019. Covid-19 particularly impacted the Hospitality and Leisure sectors with lower demand but increasing customer debt levels. Through development of its product suite, volume forecasting and credit vetting processes,EDF has recovered well following the initial Covid-19 related setback to support safe business growth.
In Large Business Sales, a targeted new-business approach has led to the successful acquisitions of 6 new customers in 2020 (a 90% increase on previous years) which include Peugeot SA and Aggregate Industries. Additionally, 31 Large Business contracts have been renewed, including Tesco and Public Sector framework TEC.
In the Export market, EDF has maintained third place in the Power Purchase Agreement market and slightly increased market share. EDF renewed the 1.3TWh per year Veolia contract which integrated innovative trading services through the Powershift platform. EDF continues to strengthen the relationship with Tesco by supporting their low carbon purchasing strategy especially their purchase of renewable power through corporate PPAs from new and unsubsidized renewable sites.
The policies surrounding EDF Energy’s energy purchasing and risk management activities are carried out in accordance with EDF group’s policies and ensure that EDF Energy’s activities are optimised and its services delivered at a competitive price while limiting its gross margin volatility.
The Wholesale Markets Optimisation (WMO) Division’s purpose is to manage the wholesale market risk of EDF Energy in one place within pre-defined risk limits and control framework. It provides an interface with the wholesale markets, via EDF Trading. WMO also provides modelling services to the whole of EDF Energy, as well as negotiating and managing asset backed commercial structures with third parties e.g. Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and Centrica.
The power generated by the generation fleet is sold via the WMO Division within EDF Energy’s customers business. Since April 2010, 20% of the output from nuclear generation is separately sold to Centrica, the minority shareholder of the current nuclear fleet, under the agreements entered into with Centrica. The remaining 80% is sold to WMO under the same transfer price as used for the transaction with Centrica, based on published market prices, smoothed over forward electricity prices where liquidity allows.
Over and above its own generation, EDF Energy also sources electricity through export power supplied from power purchase agreements which are mainly with renewable and CHP generators. In 2020, EDF Energy acquired approximately 7.2TWh through this channel.
EDF’s innovative Powershift platform gained its first customers in 2019. It offers customers flexibility and forecasting services for storage and small scale generation to earn revenues from reducing or shifting energy demand.
For delivery in 2020, EDF Energy’s net position on the wholesale market was a sale of approximately 4.2TWh (including structured trades). In 2020, EDF Energy sold approximately 36.2TWh and bought 32.0TWh.
Coal and gas contracts (physical and financial) and CO2 emissions rights are entered into by EDF Energy to hedge the fuel requirements of its power plants, gas storage and gas consumers.
Purchases are based on generation forecasts and target fuels stock levels. In 2020, 50% of EDF Energy’s coal deliveries were from domestic suppliers and 50% were from international sources.
Following the final investment decision (FID) made by EDF’s Board of Directors on 28 July 2016, EDF and CGN signed contracts for the construction and operation of two EPR reactors on Hinkley Point site in Somerset (“Hinkley Point C” or “HPC”project).
At the same time, agreements were signed for the development in the UK of two nuclear power plants at Sizewell in Suffolk (“Sizewell C” project, based on EPR technology) and Bradwell in Essex (“Bradwell B” project, based on UK HPR1000 technology) and the delivery of the Generic Design Assessment for the UK HPR1000 technology.
The EPR technology is already being deployed at the power stations at Flamanville inFrance (currently under construction and fully owned by EDF – see section 1.4.1.1.3.1 “Flamanville 3 EPR project”) and at Taishan in China (active, see section 1.4.1.1.3.2 “Other New Nuclear projects – Taishan EPR”).
EDF’s share in HPC is 66.5% and CGN’s share is 33.5%.
EDF has taken note of the UK Government requirement not to have the control of HPC sold down during the construction period without the prior approval of the UK Government.
The project has taken significant and multiple measures to guarantee maximum safety to workers on site and to the local community, while ensuring that the site could remain open. Implemented measures have been continuously adapted and strengthened since March 2020 to apply the best practices and to be able to keep the number of infections low. These measures include in particular social distancing, wearing of masks, enhanced cleaning, tools to reduce the risk of spread of infection and the early identification of positive cases through mass testing and the break of the chain of infection.
Thanks to these measures, the site has been kept open and running throughout 2020. However, they had a significant impact on the level of productivity. To apply social distancing, the number of workers on site was reduced by more than 50% int he second quarter of 2020. The workforce was back at the pre pandemic level at the end of the third quarter of 2020 and remained stable in the fourth quarter.
The containment measures taken at the beginning of 2021 by the UK Government have not led to a decrease in presence on site. The site continues to take all the required measures to guarantee maximum safety for the workers and the local community.
