The action plan for Franco-Chinese relations backed by the French and Chinese Presidents in November 2019 acclaims the cooperation between French and Chinese industrial groups on the EPR, in particular in Taishan, and calls for ongoing cooperation in China and on third-country markets, as well as continuation of the joint work on projects in the UK (Hinkley Point C, Sizewell, and Bradwell B). See section 1.4.5.1.2.5 “Nuclear New Build business” in 1.4.5.1 “United Kingdom”.
Framatome, specialising in nuclear steam supply systems, the supply of instrumentation & control systems, equipment, installed base services, and fuel, all provided with high levels of performance and safety, has been operating in China for more than 35 years. Framatome China draws on local skills and teams as well as on its own international experts, engineers, and technicians to address the needs of its customers.
Units 1 and 2 of the Taishan power plants, designed by Framatome, are now in commercial operation; Unit 1 has just completed its very first unit shutdown.
Framatome is taking part in the assembly and installation of the Tokamak (TAC1) at ITER’s nuclear fusion project centre, and is also supplying some equipment and technology building blocks for the Hualong project (RCP, I&C, etc.) along with the fuel.
Framatome operates in China via joint ventures with Dongfang Electric Corporation(FDJV) and China National Nuclear Corporation (CAST) and through its wholly-owned subsidiary Framatome Nuclear Services (FNS). Framatome operates on 9 sites: Shanghai, Lianyungang, Songjiang, Haiyan, Deyang, Shenzhen, Daya Bay, and Taishan, with a representation office in Beijing.
The EDF group holds 19.6% of SZPC, a company which owns three power plants in the Shandong province, commissioned between 1987 and 2004, with a total capacity of 3,060MW. The other shareholders are the Guodian group (which merged with Shenhua in 2017 to form a new group, China Energy Investment Group) and theHong Kong electricity producer CLP.
The EDF group holds 35% of DSPC, the company that owns the Sanmenxia 2 power plant in Henan province, commissioned in 2007, with an installed capacity of 2×600MW, using a technology known as “supercritical coal”. This investment was made through a joint venture with a fixed lifespan, established by the Chinese authorities, running until 2039. The other shareholders are two Chinese companies, including the Datang Group, which has a majority stake in DSPC.
The EDF group holds 49% of FZPC, a joint venture created in 2014 with a subsidiary of the Datang group to build and operate an “ultra-supercritical” power plant (2×1,000MW) in the Jiangxi province. The first unit was commissioned in December 2015, the second in April 2016. Fuzhou is thus the first power plant of the“ultra-supercritical” type (in other words, having increased output and a limited environmental impact) in which the EDF group has a stake. This technology makes it possible to reach high levels of temperature and pressure in the boiler, assuring abetter output (close to 44% for Fuzhou) than a traditional power plant, while decreasing coal consumption and CO2 per kilowatt-hour generated.
Through the Chinese subsidiary of EDF Renewables, EDF group has a stake in 6 wind farms in operation, with gross total installed power of 267.3MW (121.4MW net), as take in 2 wind farms under construction, with gross total installed power of 136MW (107MW net) and a pipeline of projects under development totalling several hundredMW. In 2018, EDF Renewables diversified its business into distributed solar power with the creation of a joint venture with ACC, aimed at developing rooftop solar power solutions for industrial customers (126MW is in operation or under construction to date, including 121MW net, plus a portfolio of projects totalling around 30MW). EDF Renewables also set up a joint venture with Qilu Transportation to install ground-mounted solar panels along highways operated by Qilu in Shandong province.
In the sphere of offshore wind power, on the occasion of the official visit of theChinese President to France in March 2019, EDF concluded an agreement with theChina Energy Investment electricity company for the construction of two projects (Dongtai IV and Dongtai V) off the shore of Jiangsu province. The financial closing of the joint venture agreements took place in May 2020(1). The two partners are building and operating these wind farms, with total capacity of 502MW, together.The first phase (Dongtai IV – 302MW) was commissioned in December 2019; the second phase (Dongtai V – 200MW) will be commissioned in 2021 (see section 1.4.1.3.3 “EDF Renewables activities").
In line with EDF’s strategic plan in China, R&D centre has stepped up support to EDFChina’s Divisions and is deploying its expertise on priority thematic areas for EDF’s development in China. The centre’s activities involve the generation and storage of low-carbon electricity, innovative electricity grids, local multi-energy systems, energy engineering, electric mobility and open innovation. Benefiting from the highly dynamic and innovative Chinese ecosystem, EDF’s R&D centre in China is working on applications of digital technology and artificial intelligence to energy business lines.
In the city of Sanmenxia (Henan province), EDF set up a joint venture (of which 65% is held by EDF) for the construction and operation of an urban heating network using the recovery of waste heat emitted by thermal power plants of its partner Datang. The concession agreement, for a period of 30 years, was signed on 9 August 2016 and the network entered into commercial operation on 15 November 2016. After the success of the first heating season, the municipality of Sanmenxia decided on 29 August 2017 to extend the concession area granted to the joint venture and to reduce CO2 emissions by 200,000 to 240,000 tonnes per year starting from 2021. In2020, EDF added geothermal energy to certain sections of the heating network.
In the city of Lingbao (Henan province), EDF set up on 13 November 2017 a joint venture (of which 65% is held by EDF) with the municipal investment company to build and operate a heating network powered by a 35MW biomass cogeneration power plant. The 30-year concession agreement was subscript on 9 January 2018 as part of the French President’s state visit to China. This project aims to provide additional income to local farmers and to allow for the controlled elimination of agricultural waste and the avoidance of 150,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. The cogeneration power plant supplied heat for its first heating season in November 2020.
In the city of Sanya (Hainan province), EDF and its partner Changfeng Energy were chosen on 8 August 2017 by the municipal government to complete a network of multi-energy plants in the city’s tourist areas under a 30-year concession agreement.This initiative will make it possible to supply cooling (air conditioning) and sanitary hot water to hotels, shopping centres and hospitals. The joint venture (of which 30%is held by EDF) was set up on 6 November 2017 and the concession agreement was signed on 9 January 2018 in the presence of the French and Chinese Presidents. The first cold production plant is due to commence commercial operations in 2021. This project should enable the avoidance of 20,000 to 70,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.
In November 2019, EDF and Huadian concluded an agreement to create a joint venture (of which 49% is held by EDF) for the operation of an existing heat network in the centre of Wuhan city. Powered by waste heat from a CCGT in Huadian, the network will benefit from digital tools installed by EDF at Sanmenxia.
In partnership with car manufacturer Beijing Automotive Group (BAIC), EDF inaugurated a first battery exchange station for a fleet of taxis for the City of Sanya (Hainan Province) in August 2020.
The Group also provides innovative solutions for industry and eco-neighbourhoods, drawing on EDF’s skills in Europe, in particular in the field of smart grids, cogeneration, waste heat recovery, decentralised renewable energy (heat pumps, urban solar heating, biomass, and geothermal energy) and digital tools developed onsite with the China R&D centre.
Citelum subsidiary is also present in this country for public lighting, through the contract signed with Kunming city (113,000 street lights).
(1) See the EDF Renewables press release dated 2 June 2020 “EDF group and CEI Group: partnering to build and operate offshore wind power projects in the South China Sea”.
