This project significantly improves the state of the Romanche valley’s natural and aquatic environments. It consists of replacing six old power plants and five old dams with a new dam and a new, more efficient underground power plant. The new dam is equipped with an upstream and downstream fish and sediment ladder. Until 2024, the project is continuing with the decommissioning of the dams to allow fish to move freely, taking account of the river’s specific hydromorphological characteristics. When all the old structures will have been decommissioned, 4 hectares of industrial land will have been returned to the natural environment, including 1 hectare to the river.
On the River Sélune, EDF launched the Roche Qui Boit dam decommissioning phase. These actions should lead to the restoration of the river’s natural functions, opening it up to the return of diadromous migratory fish (salmon, eels, shad, lamprey).
In July 2022 was inaugurated the longest fish crossing system in France (an artificial river of 450 metres for crossing a height of 8 metres) at the Malause hydroelectric dam. The system will contribute to the free movement of diadromous migratory fish (Atlantic salmon, eel, sea lamprey, large shad and sea trout) on the Garonne. The structure was designed in collaboration with the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB).
Luminus and its partners (University of Liege and Namur, Profish, EDF R&D) have continued a programme to model the behaviour of migrating fish and reduce their mortality during the passage of hydroelectric facilities. In 2022, Luminus successfully validated the eco-sustainable concept of the two new turbines of the Monsin hydropower plant for both benchmark species (eels and salmon). The results were especially remarkable for salmon. The “Life4Fish” programme (2017- 2023) is supported by the European Commission thanks to €1,913,000 in funding as part of the “Life” programme and with an overall budget of €4 million.
Even if, like any electricity generation infrastructure, the construction and operation of wind and photovoltaic power plants are not without impact on biodiversity, they contribute to the fight against climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and, ultimately, help to protect the environment. All the Group renewable activities are thus part of a proactive approach aimed at mitigating and controlling impacts, and seeking and implementing the best technical and technological solutions to preserve the environment.
The EDF group, the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), EDP and Shell worked together to develop and publish guidelines (1) to prioritise mitigation measures and the best available measures to reduce impacts on biodiversity from onshore and offshore wind projects and photovoltaic projects.
EDF Renewables is committed to implementing an environmental management plan in France for all its ground-mounted photovoltaic power plants with biodiversity implications. In 2022, 100% of fleets with biodiversity implications have this plant management plan in place.
In 2021, Luminus launched a “Wind Biodiversity Journey” in order to take better account of biodiversity aspects throughout the life of wind projects. To this end, exchange days were organised with the authorities and certain environmental associations. The results of the voluntary bird monitoring carried out at certain fleets were presented at these days. In addition, over the last five years, thirty field visits have made it possible to observe a large number of species living in the compensatory measures located near the fleets, demonstrating their attractiveness to lowland fauna.
Luminus drafted a Green Charter that aims to minimise the impact of wind farms on biodiversity during the construction phase. This charter incorporates the recommendations of the international IUCN guidelines published in 2021. The aim is to test this charter on a construction site. The pilot project has been identified and discussions have been initiated with the construction companies to ensure that this charter forms an integral part of the overall Health, Safety and Environment plan for the project. Lessons learned will be reviewed in 2023 for possible improvement of the charter, after which the charter is scheduled to be rolled out on all wind farm sites.
When it comes to new renewable energies, the plants prioritise the Group’s properties as well as derelict sites. Photovoltaic panels have been installed on the roofs of facilities or car park shaded areas belonging to EDF (most recently in Bouchain).
EDF Renewables prioritises derelict sites and develops all its projects based on the “Prevent Minimize Offset” (PMO) hierarchy plus systematic impact assessments. However, to achieve the goals set by the Multi-year energy programme in France, derelict sites will not be sufficient. On specific sites presenting biodiversity issues, environmental management plans and accompanying measures will be implemented, which will meet the requirements to protect species and biodiversity and promote positive impacts (differentiated management, late mowing, etc.) (2).
The French “climate and resilience” act (3) states that natural or agricultural spaces occupied by a photovoltaic fleet do not count as land take if the ecological functions of the soil are not lastingly affected and if the facility remains compatible with a crop or livestock farming activity (4). For EDF Renewables projects, the feasibility of grazing is systematically assessed based on the type of site, biodiversity issues, or the presence of interested farmers.
Agri-photovoltaics (or AgriPV) is an installation concept that refers to the combination of photovoltaic electricity production and agricultural production on the same surface, which implies a sharing of light between these two types of production. In 2022, EDF R&D continued the operation of its AGRI-PV demonstrator installed on its Renardières site by diversifying the crops (alfalfa has been replaced by wheat). In addition, an AgriPV project was launched in New Aquitaine at the end of 2021 on vineyards with the Vitisolar project.
With regard to the development of ground-based photovoltaic projects involving agricultural land within the territories, EDF Renewables, the French Chambers of Agriculture and the FNSEA signed a charter of best practices on 19 January 2021, focusing on responsible and coordinated land use. It is to the same end that EDF Renewables also joined the French Agri-photovoltaics Producers Federation (Fédération française des producteurs agrivoltaïques, FFPA) in 2022.
Floating solar is developing internationally and nationally and is now a promising technology for the entire photovoltaic industry.
(1) portals.iucn.org/library/node/49283
(2) In addition to not using phytosanitary products on all the fleets it manages.
(3) French Act 2021-1104 of 22 August 2021 combating climate imbalance and increasing resilience faced with its effects (JORF (i.e. Official Journal of the French Republic) number 0196 of 24 August 2021).
(4) Article 194 “(…) 5° For the purposes of this article, the consumption of natural, agricultural and forestry areas is understood to be the actual creation or extension of urbanised areas on the territory concerned. For the tranche mentioned in 2° of this paragraph III, a natural or agricultural space occupied by a photovoltaic energy production facility is not counted in the consumption of natural, agricultural and forestry spaces as long as the terms of this facility ensure that it does not have a lasting impact on the ecological functions of the soil, in particular its biological, hydric and climatic functions, as well as its agronomic potential, and, where applicable, that the facility is not incompatible with the exercise of an agricultural or pastoral activity on the land on which it is located (…)”. A decree is pending to specify the terms of the Act.
