Universal Registration Document 2022

Thermal generation activities are also subject to other specific legislation derived from a number of EU Directives (Directive 2012/18 of 4 July 2012 (known as the Seveso 3 Directive), Directive 2016/2284 on the reduction of national emissions of certain atmospheric pollutants, and amended Directive 2010/75/EU of 24 November 2010 on industrial emissions (the IED Directive)). Some of these Directives are currently being reviewed.

Closure of the oil-fired fleet

In spring 2018, EDF permanently shut down its last thermal power plant running operating on heavy fuel oil, in Cordemais.

Modernising the thermal generation fleet with natural gas combined cycle turbines

EDF commissioned:

the first Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) plant in France at Blénod in 2011;
two CCGT plants at Martigues in 2012 and 2013;
a next-generation CCGT plant at Bouchain in 2016 in partnership with General Electric.

This modernisation of the thermal generation fleet reduces its atmospheric emissions of CO₂, nitrogen oxides and sulphur oxides.

The CCGTs in Martigues are the result of the repowering of former oil-fired units, a part of whose facilities, such as the steam turbine, the condenser and the water treatment facilities, were reused. The installed capacity of the Martigues site is 930MW and the return is over 50%, markedly higher than the return from coal-fired thermal units.

The innovative Bouchain CCGT delivers improved capacity (600MW achievable in under 30 minutes) and return (over 60%) and offers good environmental performance with CO₂ emissions of around 360g/KWh on average, one-third of those of the old neighbouring coal-fired plant shut down in 2015.

Decommissioning of thermal fleet shut down units

EDF has planned all of the decommissioning operations on its units which were shut down or whose shutdown is scheduled. The provisions for these operations have been made in an amount that corresponds to the cost of decommissioning all of the units being operated and the clean-up of the sites ⁽¹⁾.

In 2022, EDF continued the decommissioning work on sites that had been definitively shut down. The main work carried out was asbestos removal on the units withdrawn from operation at Cordemais and Le Havre, together with decommissioning on the Blénod site (chimneys).

EDF is careful to preserve the potential of its sites to the greatest extent possible, with precision allocation of space and the implementation of local monitoring of planning regulations so as to secure its own needs. This differentiated ground and space management has made it possible to free up EDF land from occupancy issues (freeing up new land resources, biodiversity potential, and restoring natural land), taking into account the Group’s needs and assisting local authorities with the development of new types of activity (such as implementation of Cleantech Vallée on the Aramon site).

Regulatory notice

Regulations applicable to shutdowns

Fossil fuel-fired power plants are subject to legislation on facilities that are classified for the protection of the environment (ICPEs), which is organised in the French Environmental Code. Activities covered by listed facilities legislation are listed in a register which places them in a declaration, registration, or authorisation regime depending on the level of risks and drawbacks which may arise. These regulations require sites to be restored when a facility is taken out of service, depending on the expected future use of the land; for certain facilities, the constitution of financial guarantees is also required. Depending on the nature of the hazards and/or drawbacks for each category of installation, these are designed to ensure surveillance of the site, the ongoing security of the facility, interventions in the event of accidents prior to or subsequent to closure, and restoration of the site after closure.

1.4.1.3 Renewable energy generation and storage

The EDF group is now the leader in renewable energy in Europe and more specifically, the leading supplier of hydropower in the European Union.

Hydropower generation is the Group’s most significant renewable energy source. The Group is also leader in developing competitive industrial sectors, primarily wind and solar. Renewable energies account for over a quarter of the Group’s overall installed capacity.

The EDF group’s commitments in respect of the development of renewable energy are also dealt with in section 3.1.1.4 “Roadmap for increasing the Group’s decarbonised generation”.

NET GROUP INSTALLED CAPACITY IN RENEWABLE ENERGY AT END 2022 ⁽¹⁾

(in MW)	Hydropower	Wind	Solar Power	Biomass	Geothermal	Marine	Total
France	France Hydropower 20,527	France Wind 1,930	France Solar Power 534	France Biomass 205	France Geothermal 1	France Marine 240	France Total 23,438
Europe excl. France	Europe excl. France Hydropower 1,173	Europe excl. France Wind 1,843	Europe excl. France Solar Power 129	Europe excl. France Biomass 3	Europe excl. France Geothermal	Europe excl. France Marine	Europe excl. France Total 3,148
America	America Hydropower 205	America Wind 4,671	America Solar Power 1,608	America Biomass	America Geothermal	America Marine	America Total 6,484
Asia	Asia Hydropower 432	Asia Wind 875	Asia Solar Power 498	Asia Biomass 23	Asia Geothermal	Asia Marine	Asia Total 1,828
Africa ⁽²⁾	Africa ⁽²⁾Hydropower	Africa ⁽²⁾Wind 256	Africa ⁽²⁾Solar Power 821	Africa ⁽²⁾Biomass	Africa ⁽²⁾Geothermal	Africa ⁽²⁾Marine	Africa ⁽²⁾Total
TOTAL NET INSTALLED CAPACITY	TOTAL NET INSTALLED CAPACITYHydropower22,337	TOTAL NET INSTALLED CAPACITYWind9,574	TOTAL NET INSTALLED CAPACITYSolar Power3,591	TOTAL NET INSTALLED CAPACITYBiomass231	TOTAL NET INSTALLED CAPACITYGeothermal1	TOTAL NET INSTALLED CAPACITYMarine240	TOTAL NET INSTALLED CAPACITYTotal35,974

(1) As a proportion of the percentage held.

(2) Including Middle East countries.

(1) see in section 6.1 “Consolidated financial statements”, note 17.1 “Other provisions for decommissioning”.