Universal Registration Document 2022

To optimise fuels and raw materials, the Group focuses on several factors:

Variation in the Group’s generation mix

The development of renewable energies, the commissioning of high-efficiency combined cycle power plants ⁽¹⁾ (Edison’s Marghera Levante project aims to be among the most efficient in Europe), the use of biomass by Dalkia, the conversion of the thermal fleet of the island systems with liquid biomass.

Optimisation of existing facilities

IES, Dalkia and EDF in the United Kingdom are carrying out actions to optimise existing facilities, such as improving energy efficiency or process performance, maintaining or modifying processes, prescribing fuel quality and enhanced monitoring of performance levels, or using cogeneration (e-monitoring). In addition, seven of IES’s thermal sites are ISO 50001 certified in the island territories.

Real-time selection of the most effective generation resources

For example, Dalkia uses an energy management tool to optimise energy facility fuel use and is increasing its renewable energy use rate, replacing fossil fuels.

Implementation of a natural uranium savings strategy

EDF’s control of each stage of the fuel cycle, the design of high-efficiency fuel and suitable management of that fuel within nuclear units all contribute to optimising natural uranium needs. Recycling of spent fuel currently generates a saving of approximately 10% natural uranium via the use of MOX fuel (for a balanced cycle), and ultimately up to 25% by relaunching the RPU (reprocessed uranium) sector (see in section 1.4.1.1.2.3 “Nuclear fuel cycle and related issues”).

Life-cycle assessments (LCA)

EDF Renewables, which uses raw materials to manufacture equipment, carried out life-cycle assessments on its technologies (onshore wind turbines, photovoltaic solar, battery storage) to identify the main environmental impacts, and the life-cycle phases making the biggest contributions, and to study the technical & economic feasibility of possible improvements.

Development of zinc-air batteries

Zinium is a Group subsidiary dedicated to the development of zinc – air batteries. This technology uses easily accessible and non-polluting materials (for information on rare-earth metals, see also section  3.2.4.4.3 “Recycling in the field of new renewable energies”).

3.2.4.3.2 Optimising material and equipment

The use of recycled materials (aggregates, earth, concrete, etc.) is encouraged during major projects related to networks and hydraulic, nuclear and thermal investments and the materials used are recovered. Many large-scale projects under the Grand Carénage programme recover a large amount of equipment and spare parts that can still be used.

EDF Reutiliz

EDF started “EDF Reutiliz”, a digital platform to help equipment to be reused, with a view to reducing the consumption of resources and limiting the production of new goods. Its deployment began in the end of 2020 with the operational implementation phase, ramping up the reuse operations already deployed to the production fleet, and to the management of the property and IT fleet. EDF R&D estimated that the carbon impact of reuse not only contributed to reducing its own carbon footprint (scope 3), but also contributes to reducing the emissions of its stakeholders that reuse EDF equipment. A calculation methodology and database have been developed to calculate the GHG emissions avoided through reuse.

In 2022, reuse avoided the emission of 956 tonnes of CO₂e  for EDF and its stakeholders.

3.2.4.3.3 Optimisation of internal consumption

On 29 August 2022, EDF adopted an internal energy efficiency plan aimed at reducing the Company’s key consumption by 10% through proactive measures and the mobilisation of employees.

This plan amplifies and supplements the commitments the Company has made over the last several years. In order to deal with the crisis, it proposes new measures and encourages daily “eco-gestures” fostering energy savings, using three main levers: workspaces, digital uses and the continuation of actions to optimise travel.

Workspaces

• Context: EDF’s real estate portfolio currently represents just over 3 million square metres, of which approximately 2/3 are tertiary buildings on industrial sites. Air conditioning and heating account for 20 to 40% of the energy consumption of tertiary buildings. The Group’s Real Estate Department is working to reduce the consumption of workspaces through the optimisation of m², energy audits and efficiency measures (e.g. installing more efficient building management and heating equipment, switching off the air conditioning or ventilation at night and at weekends, representing a 4.5% saving in ventilation consumption, etc.). Buildings whose energy performance is too poor are gradually being abandoned in favour of new leases that include more demanding energy criteria. The use and development of data with Datanumia, in partnership with the Sales Department and R&D, enables consumption to be precisely managed for each site. In less than four years, the total energy consumption of the real estate portfolio has been reduced by approximately 12%.
• New in 2022: The internal energy efficiency plan is now proposing new measures for workspaces. These include limiting heating to 19°C as from this winter, automatically switching off collective lighting at 7pm, reducing the lighting periods for illuminated signs, etc.

Digital practices

• Recent context: EDF was the first major company to obtain the “Numérique responsable” (“Responsible Digital”) label in April 2021. Among other actions that have been carried out and that have contributed to this label, the data centres have reduced their energy consumption by 10% since 2015 while doubling their computing power. The “virtualisation” of servers allows several applications to be hosted on a single device, whereas previously there was one device per application. For example, posts and communications on the Group’s social networks have a “use by” date, and Teams conversations are automatically deleted after six months. Efforts have also been made with regard to the duration and life cycle of digital equipment: the IT and Telecom Services department, in partnership with associations and local authorities, is extending the life of PCs, screens, telephones and servers and is working to give them a second life. In conjunction with Dalkia, it is also working on recovering the “waste” heat from data centres and is studying the possibility of installing photovoltaic panels on the sites where the data centres are located to enable self-consumption.
• “Responsible Digital” eco-actions have already been identified and are recommended in terms of the use of the Internet, email, paper printing, smartphones, the creation and optimisation of a document, and the compression of multimedia files. They are available on the Responsible Digital site of the Group’s intranet (VEOL).
• New in 2022: The internal energy efficiency plan activates several additional levers, either centrally or at the employee level, to save energy or, in the event of tension on the network, to contribute to “load shedding” by shifting consumption.

Further optimisation and reduction of travel

With the EV100 programme, the Company is committed to electrifying its vehicle fleet to reduce its carbon footprint. With one third of the Group’s vehicles already 100% electric, fuel consumption has been reduced by 20% since 2019.

By reducing business travel in favour of remote meetings, employees have collectively reduced air travel by 20% and rail travel by 17% since 2019.