The Group wishes to develop on the African continent by assisting countries with high-energy demand, on a selective basis appropriate to each geographic region, and by building sustainable and multi-industry partnerships. EDF is also intensifying its action in the supply of competitive off-grid energy.
EDF group has had operations in South Africa since 1978 with the construction of the Koeberg nuclear power plant, and has since been assisting national electricity supplier ESKOM with the operation and maintenance of this power plant under a multi-year technical assistance contract, renewed with the Nuclear GenerationDivision in 2015. Framatome is also a major supplier to ESKOM (general maintenance and fuel). In 2014, a contract was signed to change the power plant’s steam generators: this is due to take place in 2021 and 2022.
The EDF group established a subsidiary (EDF Development South Africa) in 2007 inJohannesburg, with a view to preparing the relaunching of the South African nuclear programme. The South African subsidiary is also responsible for developing EDF’s business activities in Southern Africa, particularly as regards generation projects as well as the sale of services relating to thermal engineering, hydropower, transmission and distribution. In December 2018, EDF purchased 30% of South African engineering company GIBB Power to support the development of its engineering activity in the Southern Africa Region and meet the positive discrimination criteria in force in South Africa.
EDF group’s renewables activities in the country began in 2011 with the acquisition of Innowind, in which the Group now has an 84% stake, allowing it to respond to renewables calls for tender issued by the South African government. 3 wind power projects were won in 2012 and one in 2015, totalling 142MW (35MW of which are currently under construction). This government programme of calls for tender was frozen between 2015 and 2019.
In October 2019, the new government promulgated an Energy Master Plan for the country (Integrated Resource Plan 2019-2030); this plans for around an additional20GW of renewables capacity by 2030, 3GW of gas, and strategic thinking to consider the relaunch of a nuclear programme including small modular reactors(SMRs). The implementation of this master plan is underway, with the launch of are quest for information (RFI) for new nuclear capacity, to which EDF group responded in October 2020. EDF Renewables (South Africa) is also preparing to respond to new renewables calls for tender announced for 2021.
The Group is also present in South Africa via the company KES (Kukhanya EnergyServices), created in 2002 (see section 1.4.5.3.9 “Off-grid energy”).
The Group has been active in Mozambique since the end of the 1980s involving the provision of engineering services and has formed preferred partnerships with EDM (Electricidade de Moçambique).
The EDF group has been active in Morocco since the 1970s and has formed preferred partnerships with Morocco’s national electricity and drinking water office (ONEE), electricity distribution authorities, and industrial players. To help support its development, the Group created EDF Maroc in 1997, EDF EN Maroc in 2012 as well as EDF Fenice Maroc in October 2016.
The Group and ONEE continued their cooperation, pursuant to the general agreement signed in January 2012, in the areas of renewable, thermal and hydraulic generation, as well as in networks and training.
The Group is making a major contribution to the decarbonisation of the Moroccan energy mix. After having been selected by ONEE in a call for tenders, the consortium led by EDF Renewables in partnership with Japanese group Mitsui & Co. is developing the 150MW Taza wind farm, for which the construction of phase 1 (87MW) commenced on 2 September 2020.
EDF Renewables, in a consortium with Masdar and Green of Africa, will also be carrying out the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of the first phase of the Noor Midelt solar complex following an international call for tender won inMay 2019. This 800MW capacity project, located north of Midlt, is an innovative hybrid power plant combining concentrated solar power and photovoltaic solar power, a world first.
The Group also has operations in Morocco in energy efficiency activities through EDF Fenice Maroc, a subsidiary of Fenice Iberica (Edison), involved via a circular economy contract with a multinational group in the food industry, as well as on the street lighting market through its subsidiary Citelum Maghreb.
The Group is also present in Senegal, through the ERA company, the operator of the rural electrification concession in Kaffrine-Tambacounda-Kédougou. In 2019, EDF Iacquired the 30% stake held by Matforce in ERA, thereby becoming its sole share holder.
A price review was engaged in 2017 to ensure the economic equilibrium of the concession. As the ruling made by the regulator in late 2019 was not satisfactory, an appeal against this ruling was lodged by ERA with Senegal’s Supreme Court on 12 March 2020. EDF also confirmed to the State of Senegal that it wished to withdraw from the share capital of ERA.
Nachtigal Hydro Power Company (NHPC), owned by EDF (40%), IFC (20%), the Republic of Cameroon (15%), Africa50 (15%) and STOA (10%) have begun construction of the Nachtigal 420MW hydropower dam, situated on the Sanaga River, close to Yaoundé on 1 February 2019. In July 2016, Nachtigal Hydro Power Company was created to assist with the project and signed a Concession Agreement for Electricity Generation in April 2017. The Nachtigal financial closing was completed on 24 December 2018. The first loan drawdown took place in January 2019.
The Nachtigal hydroelectric power plant is a size able project for the country and will, on commissioning, be the most important generation resource in Cameroon. It aims at providing around one third of the electricity needs and generating numerous economic benefits for the local economy. At the end of 2020, the estimated delay resulting from the Covid-19 health crisis is 4.5 months. The electro mechanical assembly schedule will aim to optimise this time as much as possible. The level of progress in civil engineering at 31 December 2020 is around 37%. Commissioning is scheduled for the beginning of 2024.
Following the MOU signed with the Government of Cameroon awarding EDF exclusive development of the Kikot hydroelectric project on the Sanaga, discussions between the Republic of Cameroon, SFI, and EDF enabled an agreement to be reached on the joint development of this project and could soon result in the signature of a JDA (Joint Development Agreement).
EDF International Networks, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the EDF group, opened a branch in September 2017 to further develop its activities in the country in support of E2C (Énergie Électrique du Congo)(1).
The two Benban 65MW solar power plants, developed on a parity basis withEgyptian company Elsewedy Electric, were commissioned in August 2019, and are delivering very satisfactory performance. The PPA is for 25 years (see also section 1.4.1.3.3 “EDF Renewables activity”).
In 2019, EDF Renewables took out a strategic stake in KarmSolar, a major player on the emerging market for privately-produced and distributed solar power in Egypt. The company also operates microgrid projects that include storage. KarmSolar has aport folio of 170MW of operational solar power plants and plants under construction or development (see also section 1.4.1.3.3 “Activities of EDF Renewables”).
EDF is also assisting Egypt with its energy transition in a consultancy capacity. In the field of transmission with EETC, EDF is supervising the engineering and construction of the dispatcher in the Delta (2017 contract) and the new national dispatcher to be located in Egypt’s new administrative capital (2019 contract). To support the EIB, EDF is pursuing its consultancy activity with EETC for the development of its transmission network. For EEHC, in the field of distribution, in 2020 EDF International Networks continued with the deployment of 53,000 smart meters as part of a consortium led byFrench manufacturer Sagemcom and including the Egyptian company Globaltronics.
EDF group is developing the “Biovéa” project for a biomass electricity power plant with two 23MW units in partnership with SIFCA, an Ivorian agro-industrial group inWest Africa, and Meridiam, an investment firm which joined the project in January 2018. This project is already included in Ivory Coast’s development masterplan. An agreement on the transmission price for electricity was entered into with the (continue to page 85)
(1) Also called SNE.
