| Greenhouse gases (GHG) | Gas that retains a portion of the solar radiation in the atmosphere and for which an increase in emissions due to human activity (man-made emissions) causes an increase in the earth’s average temperature and plays an important role in climate change. The Kyoto Protocol covers the seven following principal greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrogen protoxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), perfluorated hydrocarbons (PFC), sulfurhexafluoride (SF6) and, since 2013, nitrogen trifluoride (NF3). |
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| Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) | Natural gas turned into liquid form by reducing its temperature to -162°C, allowing for a reduction by 600 in its volume. |
| Man-sievert | Unit expressing the collective equivalent dose. A man-sievert is the collective dose from exposure of 1,000 men to 1mSv (milliesievert). |
| Hydrogen | The conversion of natural gas into hydrogen generates CO2 hence the qualification of “grey” hydrogen. This form of hydrogen is used on a large scale, particularly in the chemical industry to produce ammonia and fertilisers. So-called “blue” hydrogen is obtained when the emitted CO2 is captured and then reused or stored. So-called “green” hydrogen is generated from renewable energy sources. The electricity generated by wind turbines or solar panels is transformed with water through an electrolysis process. No greenhouse gases are emitted. Hydrogen can be stored in large quantities and then converted back into electricity. |
| INB | Basic Nuclear Facilities |
| Interconnection | Electricity transmission infrastructure that allows for exchanges of energy between different countries, by connecting the transmission network of one country to that of a neighbouring country. |
| IRSN | Institut de radioprotection et de sûreté nucléaire. IRSN is the public expert in research and assessment of nuclear and radiological risks. |
| Balancing Mechanism | Created by RTE on 1 April 2003, the balancing mechanism allows it to use power reserves that can be mobilised in the event of an imbalance between supply and demand. |
| Microgrid | Microgrids are small power grids designed to provide a reliable supply of electricity to a small number of consumers. They combine multiple local and diffuse production facilities, consumption facilities, storage facilities and tools for supervision and demand management. They can be connected directly to a distribution network or operate disconnected from the network (islanding). |
| MW − MWh |
The megawatt-hour (MWh) is the energy unit generated by a facility and is equal to the facilities’ power, expressed in megawatts (MW), multiplied by the duration of operations in hours. 1MW = 1,000 kilowatts = 1 million watts 1MWh = 1MW produced for 1 hour = 1 megawatt-hour 1GW = 1,000MW = 1 billion watts 1TW = 1,000GW |
| MWh cumac | The MWh cumac is the certificate energy unit of counting which corresponds to the cumulative energy savings aggregated on the operations’ lifetime. |
| Series | In the nuclear field, a series of plants means a set of nuclear plants with identical generation capacity. EDF’s PWR model is divided into three series of available electrical power: the 900-MW series (34 tranches of approximately 900MW each), the 1,300-MW series (20 tranches) and the 1,450-MW series (4 tranches). |
| Plutonium (Pu) | Element with the atomic number of 94 (number of protons) and no naturally occurring isotopes (elements whose atoms possess the same number of electrons and protons − thus the same chemical properties − but a different number of neutrons). Plutonium 239, a fissile isotope, is produced in nuclear reactors from uranium 238. |
| Producible hydropower generation | Maximum energy that hydropower facilities may produce using contributions under normal hydraulicity conditions. However, generation from hydroelectric facilities does vary, sometimes markedly, from one year to the next depending on hydraulicity (rainfall and snowfall). In dry years, the generation index may vary by 20% or more from the standard level. |
| Radiation protection | At a power plant, ionising radiation sources are numerous: the fuel itself, equipment activated by neutron flux (particularly that which is close to the core, such as tanks or lids) and particles from corrosion of the primary circuit of reactors and carried by the primary fluid. The level of exposure of a person is quantified by the dose equivalent in Sieverts (Sv). The total dose equivalents, called “collective dosimetry” and expressed in man-sieverts, is used as an indicator of dose received by all participating persons. The mobilisation of stakeholders has allowed a continuous improvement of performance on the protection of employees against the effects of ionising radiation. |
| Distribution network | Downstream of the transmission network, medium- and low-voltage distribution networks serve end-users (residential, local authorities, SMEs, SMIs, etc.). |
| Transmission network | Network providing for the transmission of electrical power at High and Very High Voltages from the generating sites to the distribution networks or industrial sites directly connected to it; this includes the major interconnection transmission network (400,000 volts and 225,000 volts) and the regional distribution networks (225,000 volts, 150,000 volts, 90,000 volts and 63,000 volts). |
| Entity Responsible for Balance | Entities with which RTE signs a contract for the financing of shortfalls between forecast and actual consumption and the production of a portfolio of users brought together by the entity responsible for balance which plays a role of insurer covering the potential losses arising from the many differences between over- and under-supply. |
| Reprocessing | Reactor burnt fuel reprocessing aimed at separating materials that can be recycled (uranium and plutonium) from final waste. |
| Scopes 1, 2 and 3 | Every year, EDF draws up a GHG report (scopes 1, 2 and 3) covering the Group scope calculated according to the principles of the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard:
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