Universal Registration Document 2022

Managing access to water

The dams operated by EDF in France provide storage capacity for nearly 7 billion cubic metres of water at their nominal fill volume. Over and above being a hydropower supplier, EDF is therefore also engaged as a contributor to the sustainable management of water resources.

EDF maintains the flows of many rivers in summer for the benefit of aquatic environments and other water uses: drinking water, irrigation, sports and leisure activities in rivers. etc. For instance, the Durance-Verdon and Saint-Cassien reservoirs in Alpes-Maritimes played a fundamental role in Provence crop irrigation during summer 2022. By reducing the energy management of its infrastructures from March onwards, EDF was able to keep water in its upstream reservoirs to support farmers downstream. See also sections 3.2.3.3.2.1 “Management of water resources” and 3.2.3.3.2.2 “Keeping commitments”.

Water management is carried out in consultation with the various stakeholders; in some cases, this includes agreements with local authorities, fishermen, farmers, and the managers of tourist destinations and industrial sites. EDF is thus very much a stakeholder in local water management governance. For instance, EDF has set up an innovative “Basin coordinator delegate” scheme, so that all EDF’s business lines have representation in water-related authorities such as basin Committees and water agency Boards of Directors, on behalf of the UFE ⁽¹⁾.

1.4.1.3.2 Other renewable energies

Biomass and biogas

Through its holdings, the EDF group owns shares in France (notably through its subsidiary Dalkia), and abroad in several dozen heating networks and small-scale, mainly wood-fired generating plants. It has been committed for several years to the development of anaerobic digestion, with the biogas produced used both in cogeneration and for direct injection into the natural gas distribution network.

Geothermal energy

To develop this type of energy, EDF is using its subsidiary Électricité de Strasbourg, which operates two industrial facilities in Alsace: one for heat at Rittershoffen, Ecogi, for a local industry, and the other for power generation, at Soultz-sous- Forêts.

Dalkia has also specialised in geothermal energy for over 40 years. Dalkia operates a number of surface and deep geothermal facilities in France.

1.4.1.3.3 EDF Renewables activities

Apart from hydropower, the EDF group’s involvement in renewable energy is largely conducted by its a wholly-owned subsidiary EDF  Renewables. EDF Renewables companies in France and abroad had a combined headcount of 4,514 as of 31 December 2022.

EDF Renewables is fully engaged in the renewables market dynamic, with a strong presence in onshore and offshore wind power, as well as accelerating its solar and offshore wind power business.

EDF Renewables is also expanding into the storage sector, in line with EDF’s Storage Plan, which calls for 10GW of new capacity by 2035, including 4GW from large-scale batteries.

EDF Renewables is also involved in the Group’s development of low-carbon hydrogen, with a view to achieving the Hydrogen Plan target of 3GW of electrolytic hydrogen projects worldwide by 2030.

Finally, EDF is also present in the decentralised renewable energy sector (rooftop solar power) for residential and corporate customers. It has operations in France (via its subsidiary EDF ENR) and abroad, in particular in the United States, China, the United Kingdom and, since 2021, in Vietnam and Israel.

EDF Renewables has seen marked growth in installed capacity (up 10%/year on average over the past five years). As of 31 December 2022, EDF Renewables had gross installed capacity of 18,536MW, net installed capacity of 11,386MW and 6,576MW gross currently under construction. The project portfolio totalled a gross capacity of 86GW ⁽²⁾ at the end of 2022.

With operations in over 20 countries, EDF Renewables is one of the benchmark players in the development and generation of electricity from renewable energy sources, in particular in its main historic locations of North America (United States, Canada, and Mexico) and Europe, mainly in France and the United Kingdom. EDF Renewables has also rebalanced its business in geographical terms, increasing its presence in other countries with high potential for the development of renewable energy, including South Africa, Brazil, China, India, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Morocco.

EDF Renewables is an integrated operator in renewable energies and is involved in every stage of the value chain. EDF Renewables operates upstream, in project development, as well as in engineering during the construction of power plants and their operation and maintenance. EDF Renewables develops projects on its own or in partnerships, as appropriate. At year-end 2022, its portfolio comprised 71% of wind power, 28% of solar power and 1% of storage ⁽³⁾, and it had embarked on its technological rebalancing initiative by accelerating its development in solar power.

As part of its business model, the Group is also involved in the Development and Sale of Structured Assets (an activity referred to as “DSSA”), which consists of selling projects it has built, in whole or in part, to third-party investors. With regard to DSSA, the net capacity sold in 2022 amounted to 881MW.