Universal Registration Document 2021

NET GROUP INSTALLED CAPACITY IN RENEWABLE ENERGY AT END 2021 ⁽¹⁾

(in MW)	Hydropower	Wind	Photovoltaic	Biomass	Geothermal	Marine	Total
France	France Hydropower 20,501	France Wind 1,655	France Photovoltaic 397	France Biomass 182	France Geothermal 1	France Marine 240	France Total 22,975
Europe excl. France	Europe excl. France Hydropower 1,156	Europe excl. France Wind 1,760	Europe excl. France Photovoltaic 83	Europe excl. France Biomass 3	Europe excl. France Geothermal	Europe excl. France Marine	Europe excl. France Total 3,003
America	America Hydropower 205	America Wind 4,642	America Photovoltaic 1 488	America Biomass	America Geothermal	America Marine	America Total 6,335
Asie	Asie Hydropower 432	Asie Wind 704	Asie Photovoltaic 447	Asie Biomass 23	Asie Geothermal	Asie Marine	Asie Total 1,606
Afrique ⁽²⁾	Afrique ⁽²⁾ Hydropower	Afrique ⁽²⁾ Wind 285	Afrique ⁽²⁾ Photovoltaic 559	Afrique ⁽²⁾ Biomass	Afrique ⁽²⁾ Geothermal	Afrique ⁽²⁾ Marine	Afrique ⁽²⁾ Total 844
TOTAL NET INSTALLED CAPACITY	TOTAL NET INSTALLED CAPACITY Hydropower 22,294	TOTAL NET INSTALLED CAPACITY Wind 9,047	TOTAL NET INSTALLED CAPACITY Photovoltaic 2,975	TOTAL NET INSTALLED CAPACITY Biomass 208	TOTAL NET INSTALLED CAPACITY Geothermal 1	TOTAL NET INSTALLED CAPACITY Marine 240	TOTAL NET INSTALLED CAPACITY Total 34,764

(1) As a proportion of the percentage held.

(2) Including Middle East countries.

1.4.1.3.1 Hydropower generation in France

1.4.1.3.1.1 EDF’s hydropower generation fleet

Hydroelectricity is the second source of electricity generation after nuclear power and the first source of renewable electricity in France. This is an important sector for the electricity system for many reasons, particularly in terms of grid security and balancing.

EDF’s hydropower fleet in mainland France includes about 500 plants, including the plants belonging to French subsidiaries and cross-border companies (Franco-German and Franco-Swiss power plants). There were 427 plants within the scope of EDF at the end of 2021, with an average age of 76 years ⁽¹⁾:

Hydropower plants	31/12/2021	31/12/2020
Total Maximum Capacity (in GW)	Total Maximum Capacity (in GW)31/12/2021 20.1	Total Maximum Capacity (in GW)31/12/2020 20.1
Total Output Including Pumping (in TWh)	Total Output Including Pumping (in TWh)31/12/2021 41.8	Total Output Including Pumping (in TWh)31/12/2020 44.7

Within mainland France, hydropower plants are mainly located in mountainous areas in the Pyrenees, the Alps, the Massif Central and the Jura, as well as on the Rhine. In all, they represent an installed capacity of approximately 20.112GW (excluding French overseas départements and Corsica), or 23.3% of EDF fleet’s installed capacity, for producible energy of more than 40 TWh.

The various hydropower facilities are designed to optimise the use of water resources in the valleys where they are situated, as part of multi-purpose water management (detailed in section 1.4.1.3.1.4 “Issues relating to hydropower generation”). Given the size and variety of its fleet, EDF has facilities able to respond to all types of desired uses, from base to peak generation which also offer levers for optimisation due to their flexibility.

Facility category	Turbine capacity (GW)	Average gravity capacity over 50 years ⁽¹⁾ (TWh)
Run-of-river	Run-of-river Turbine capacity (GW) 3.6	Run-of-river Average gravity capacity over 50 years ⁽¹⁾ (TWh) 16.7
Lake-supplied	Lake-supplied Turbine capacity (GW) 8.2	Lake-supplied Average gravity capacity over 50 years ⁽¹⁾ (TWh) 14.5
Pondage	Pondage Turbine capacity (GW) 3.1	Pondage Average gravity capacity over 50 years ⁽¹⁾ (TWh) 8.1
Pumped-storage ⁽²⁾	Pumped-storage ⁽²⁾Turbine capacity (GW) 5.1	Pumped-storage ⁽²⁾Average gravity capacity over 50 years ⁽¹⁾ (TWh) 1.5
Tidal	Tidal Turbine capacity (GW) 0.24	Tidal Average gravity capacity over 50 years ⁽¹⁾ (TWh) 0.5

(1) The average production over 50 years has been re-evaluated on the basis of observed climate change.

(2) Only gravity capacity is counted in the STEPs; pumped energy is not taken into account.

1.4.1.3.1.2 Performance of the hydropower generation fleet

In 2021, EDF’s hydropower electricity generation in mainland France before deduction of power required to operate pumped-storage plants was 41.80 TWh, amounting to 10.12% of EDF’s total electricity production in 2021.

In 2021, EDF spent more than €476 million in mainland France for the development and maintenance of its hydropower generation fleet to ensure optimum and safe operation.

A highly-automated and remotely-managed fleet

In order to take advantage of the flexibility of its hydropower generation facilities, for some years now EDF has been initiating ambitious programmes involving automation, remote control of hydropower plants and centralised management for each valley. Currently, the largest plants in EDF’s hydropower fleet, account for over 15.6GW (around 77% of its installed hydropower capacity) and are remote-controlled from four control centres able to make adjustments to the plants’ operating programmes at any time in order to respond to the needs of the electricity system and to economic opportunities arising on the electricity market.

To improve the reliability of its largest power plants, EDF monitors physical parameters (including temperature and vibration) of machinery, from five regional operations centres. This enables any discrepancy to be speedily detected; incidents can be avoided thanks to greater familiarity with the status and operational behaviour of the equipment.

Technical performance of the fleet and hydropower conditions in 2021

Hydropower generation may witness substantial variations from one year to the next, depending on climatic fluctuations in water resources. 2021 saw a slight water deficit and good production performance. This was due to the mobilisation of all teams to ensure the availability and performance of hydroelectric power generation facilities during the energy crisis.

Anticipating needs relating to the expansion of variable renewable energy (solar and wind power), the emphasis is on increasing the flexibility of hydroelectric production resources and adaptation of power plant remote operation to capture the opportunities opened up by the development of European intraday power trading.

In 2020, the Nice hinterland was severely hit by storm Alex. One year later, 10 out of 14 plants have been put back in service thanks to the mobilisation of the EDF group’s teams.

1.4.1.3.1.3 Hydropower safety

EDF performs regular monitoring and maintenance of dams, in particular by means of continuous structural health monitoring, contributing to hydropower safety. Hydropower safety comprises all the measures taken when designing and operating hydropower plants to reduce risks and hazards to people and property associated with water and the presence or operation of facilities. Hydropower safety is the major and permanent concern of the producer.

(1) Arithmetic mean