Universal Registration Document 2022

Introduction

Details of changes in provisions for the back-end of the nuclear cycle, decommissioning and last cores are as follows:

    Increases Decreases    
(in millions of euros) 31/12/2021 Operating Financial (1) Utilisations Reversals Other changes (2) 31/12/2022
Provisions for spent fuel management 11,819 417 51 (849) - (59) 11,379
  • amount unrelated to the operating cycle
 1,726 23 (85) (41) - (16) 1,607
  • amount outside the scope of the Law of 28 June 2006*
 1,136 44 56 (41) - - 1,195
Provisions for long-term radioactive waste management 14,233 128 (1,308) (204) - (374) 12,475
Provisions for the back-end of the nuclear cycle 26,052 545 (1,257) (1,053) - (433) 23,854
Provisions for the back-end of the nuclear cycle within the scope of the Law of 28 June 2006* 24,916 501 (1,313) (1,012) - (433) 22,659
Provisions for the back-end of the nuclear cycle outside the scope of the Law of 28 June 2006* 1,136 44 56 (41) - - 1,195
Provisions for nuclear plant decommissioning 17,730 273 340 (201) - (1,048) 17,094
Provisions for last cores 2,660 - 104 - - (330) 2,434
Provisions for decommissioning and last cores 20,390 273 444 (201) - (1,378) 19,528
TOTAL PROVISIONS RELATED TO NUCLEAR GENERATION 46,442 818 (813) (1,254) - (1,811) 43,382
Provisions for the back-end of the nuclear cycle within the scope of the Law of 28 June 2006* 45,306 774 (869) (1,213) - (1,811) 42,187
Provisions for the back-end of the number cycle outside the scope of the Law of 28 June 2006* 1,136 44 56 (41) - - 1,195

* Scope of application of the law of 28 June 2006 on the sustainable management of radioactive materials and waste and its application decrees concerning secure financing of nuclear expenses. The provisions that do not fall within the scope of this law are provisions for the back-end of the nuclear cycle concerning non-EDF installations (see below)

(1) The discount effect principally comprises the €1,830 million cost of unwinding the discount, and the €(2,548) million effects of the change in the real discount rate in 2022 for provisions not backed by assets, which were recorded in the income statement (cost of unwinding the discount) (see note 11 (2));

(2) “Other movements” notably include the €(2,061) million effects of the change in the real discount rate at 31 December 2022 for provisions backed by assets. ?The change in 2021 in EDF’s provisions related to nuclear generation was mainly explained by the extension of the depreciation period of 1300MW-series power plants, which had an impact of €(1,016) million at 1 January 2021 (see note 2.1.1 to the 2021 financial statements), distributed as follows: €(916) million on provisions for decommissioning, €(214) million on provisions for last cores, and €114 million on provisions for long-term radioactive waste management.

Concerning non-EDF installations:

  • EDF, COGEMA (now Orano Recyclage) and the French Atomic Energy Commission (Commissariat à l’énergie atomique or CEA) signed an agreement in December 2004 which transferred the management and financing of final shutdown, decommissioning and waste recovery and reconditioning for the UP1 reprocessing facility at Marcoule to the CEA. In return, EDF paid the CEA a one-time financial contribution covering its full share of the cost of outstanding operations, while remaining the owner of its final waste and bearing only the transport and storage costs;
  • EDF, AREVA and AREVA NC (now Orano Recyclage) signed two agreements in December 2008 and July 2010 defining the legal and financial terms for the transfer to AREVA NC of EDF’s contractual obligations regarding its financial contribution to the dismantling of La Hague installations and the recovery and conditioning of waste. In application of those agreements, EDF paid Orano Recyclage a one-time financial contribution covering its full share of the cost of outstanding operations, while remaining the owner of its final waste and bearing only the transport and storage costs.

26.1 Provisions for spent fuel management

EDF’s currently adopted strategy with regards to the fuel cycle, in agreement with the French State, is to process spent fuel, to recycle the separated plutonium in the form of MOX fuel (Mixed OXide of plutonium and uranium) and to recycle the reprocessed uranium.

The quantities processed by Orano Recyclage at the request of EDF, totalling approximately 1,100 tonnes per year, are determined based on the quantity of recyclable plutonium in the reactors that are authorised to load MOX fuel (currently, 24 authorised reactors).

Consequently, provisions for spent fuel management (€11,379 million) mainly cover the following services to be provided by Orano Recyclage:

  • removal of spent fuel from EDF’s generation centres, and its reception and interim storage;
  • processing, including conditioning and storage of recyclable matter.

The processing expenses included in these provisions concern spent fuel that can be recycled in existing facilities, including the portion in reactors but not yet irradiated.