EDF announces a mega solar plan in France

[moinsdewatt]

Why EDF's solar plan is historic

Aurélie Barbaux Usine Nouvelle on 12/12/2017

EDF has announced an ambitious solar plan which aims to develop 30 gigawatts of photovoltaic solar energy in mainland France by 2035. While it may seem tactical, even political, this plan is nonetheless historic, for the national electrician.

Even if EDF's solar plan is only an opportunistic response to the government's request to define a precise plan to support the country's energy transition with a rebalancing of the electricity mix in favor of renewable energies, it is not no less historic for the national electrician. Because in terms of solar, France in general, and EDF in particular, come from afar. Illustration in six key figures.

From 200 MW to 30 GW.

EDF is barely present in France today in photovoltaics with only 200 MW of installed capacity out of a total of 6881 MW as of June 1, 2017 according to RTE. Announcing the installation of 30 GW between 2020 and 2035 therefore represents a total change of strategy and a quantum leap of EDF in renewable energies in France. Because if EDF already has 1,7 GW of solar in the world and 1 GW under construction, it had not wanted to compete with its nuclear electricity in mainland France until then.

Around 6% of the electric mix

The share of solar energy in total electricity production in France is only 1,6% compared to 6% in Germany and 3,5% in Great Britain. If nothing else changes, the EDF solar plan could quadruple this rate. In 2035, the share of solar would then be 6,5% calculated by Antoine Cahuzac, the CEO of EDF Energies Nouvelles, the subsidiaries of the EDF group in charge of this plan. If it is still far from the 10% of hydraulics in the French electric mix, this would however mark a real break. But it's a low range. With his plan, if EDF wants to take a leadership position, it will not be alone. And it is probably more than 30 GW of new installations that could be installed in France by then. But, 30 GW is already almost half of the installed capacity of the nuclear fleet (63,3GW).

Giant 100 MW power plants

If the largest solar power plant in France has a capacity of 300 MW, calls for tenders from the Energy Regulation Commission (CRE) are limited to 12 MW projects. And of the 6,6 GW recorded by the photovoltaic energy observatory in France in the second quarter of 2017, today only 9% (621) are installations with a power greater than these 12 MW. To carry out its plan, EDF therefore expects the State to launch tenders for power stations of the order of 100 MW. The Minister for the Ecological and Inclusive Transition has announced that he will bring the volume of tenders to 2,45 GW per year compared to 1,45 GW today, but there is no question of changing the size of projects.

2 GW to install per year

If the plan does not start until 2020, it is because it takes on average two years to set up a photovoltaic solar project against 7 to 8 years for onshore wind, explains EDF. It is also time for EDF Energies nouvelles to get ready for battle in France. Then, EDF Energies Nouvelles plans to install an average of 1,5 GW per year between 2020 and 2025, 2 GW per year between 2025 and 2030 and 2,5 GW per year between 2030 and 2035, or on average 2GW per year for 15 years. While in 2016, only 600 MW of new solar capacity had been installed in France, compared to 76 GW worldwide.

25000 to 30000 hectares to be released

The EDF group has announced that it will immobilize all the means at its disposal to ensure this accelerated pace of development. It remains to find the land. The ratio of this type of project is 1 hectare for 1 MW. It will therefore be necessary to find between 25000 and 30000 hectares of land to install these mega power plants. Finding this land is one of the main obstacles hitherto mentioned by EDF to explain its lack of appetite for photovoltaics in France. But EDF decided to ignore it and put its own in it. It undertakes to identify and use land from its land heritage and land near nuclear power plants, to convert brownfield sites or sites being dismantled, and even to develop floating photovoltaics on hydraulic sites. But that will not be enough, and EDF also expects public authorities and local authorities to help it identify other areas.

35 billion euros to invest

Solar projects cost on average 1 million euros for 1MW installed. EDF has calculated that it will in fact have to invest 35 billion euros over 15 years. But there is no question of touching the investments already planned for the extension of the current nuclear fleet beyond 30 years (the major refit) which swallows 4,2 billion euros per year, or the construction of new nuclear and renewable capacities ( including hydraulic) in France and especially abroad, in which EDF invests 5 billion euros per year. EDF plans to finance these projects with bank loans and investments from its partners. A method proven by EDF Energies nouvelles and which works well all over the world, according to Antoine Cahuzac. The latter also does not exclude signing PPAs (purchase per agreement), contracts for the purchase of a production by a private actor. But if this solution is developed abroad, it is still shunned in France. Market prices for green electricity remain more attractive, explains Nicolas Couderc, Director of France and distributed energies at EDF Energies Nouvelles.

https://www.usinenouvelle.com/article/p ... ue.N626453

[sicetaitsimple]

Rather good news, right?

So certainly sorrowful spirits will not fail to say EDF this or EDF that ..... And to notice that there is certainly a "deal" between EDF and the State, its majority shareholder, I postpone the deadline for "50% nuclear" and you announce a solar plan.

Personally it doesn't shock me.

Much more debatable is the choice of "mega-farms", but it is not said that this is ultimately the way it will (or not) come about.

[sen-no-sen]

30 GW solar is roughly half of the electro-nuclear power, is this a strategy aimed at making up for the drop in nuclear production, or preparing everything electric?

[sicetaitsimple]

30 GW solar is roughly half of the electro-nuclear power, is this a strategy aimed at making up for the drop in nuclear production, or preparing everything electric?

Half of the power, but with a ladle 10% of the production ..... Forty TWh / year vs 400 approximately.

[Did67]

I think the reasons for EdF's sudden interest in solar energy are simple: the "green" financing announced at the Paris summit. And more generally, the gradual withdrawal of institutional financiers (public funds, development banks, and even "ethical" private funds) from "polluting" energies (primarily coal) ... EdF is terribly in debt and loses every day of its credibility vis-à-vis the bankers. The action has fallen enormously over the past 5 years (and therefore the book "value" of the company, the counterpart of the debt ratio: the famous ratio of outstanding loans / equity). Renewables are undoubtedly EdF's only way to develop further, after Hinkley Point ... I doubt that a serious financier will still commit to new nuclear units, while waiting to see the final invoice and if the results are waiting for you ...

But indeed, whatever the "motivation", opportunistic or not, the facts are there: even EdF seems to be seriously interested in solar energy. Do you believe? And we're not going to complain about it. That EdF does business is the least of things after all. So go where it's fundable. And hopefully profitable ...

It is the delays in wind energy that question me - because these days, it would be an interesting complement to other renewable energies.

[As usual, this is only my opinion].

[About energy, an interesting question: http://www.lemonde.fr/europe/article/20 ... _3214.html ... Finally, it's a statement. But I am asking this as a question. In other words, can a "dealer" be held responsible for the damage caused by what he sells? In other words, can we accumulate incredible wealth - Norway has one of the most powerful sovereign funds - without looking at the origin of this wealth? We are far from June and the Bac philosophy tests!]

[sicetaitsimple]

It is the delays in wind energy that question me - because these days, it would be an interesting complement to other renewable energies.

The problem is delays, appeals, .... On my way, a wind farm has just been put into service, not a monster, 5 wind turbines of 2MW.

I looked on the Internet to find the features. And I realized that the public inquiry dated from 2010!

It is also not said that solar "mega-plants" will not encounter the same type of problems ...

[Did67]

Yes, I know ... Moreover, we have seen it here, on a thread: wind power (apart from offshore no doubt - although the fishermen are also yelling ...) raises strong opposition. No doubt more than solar, which more easily finds "dead zones" (old airfields here, old mine tiles elsewhere, roofs of factories, high schools ...).

However, that there is no development policy on the part of EdF surprises me ... (if we start from the principle stated above that for this operator, only renewable energies are still easily financeable).

[sicetaitsimple]

Yes, I know ... Moreover, we have seen it here, on a thread: wind power (apart from offshore no doubt - although the fishermen are also yelling ...) raises strong opposition. No doubt more than solar, which more easily finds "dead zones" (old airfields here, old mine tiles elsewhere, roofs of factories, high schools ...).

However, that there is no development policy on the part of EdF surprises me ... (if we start from the principle stated above that for this operator, only renewable energies are still easily financeable).

Sinners are pros, I think there is always a way to find a compromise with them. No, the worst thing is the "secondary Parisian resident" who will have to put up with seeing a few wind turbines in the distance when the conditions are right!