EDF / 2018 Reference document

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIETAL INFORMATION – HUMAN RESOURCES Other areas of the sustainable development policy

Air 3.3.2.3

To cope with these unusual and even exceptional climatic conditions on certain rivers like the Rhine, where even navigation was interrupted, various levers were activated within EDF to optimise production (1) and meet the expectations of the stakeholders. These included the release of water to preserve the fish population in the lower Ain Valley, for example, with 43hm 3 removed from storage in the Vouglans for environmental purposes in 2018. In 2018, in total 882hm³ were removed from storage, to meet the various needs of water-users in the context of the specifications of hydropower concessions or agreements to share water. Due to these particularly dry and hot summer conditions, the loss of production (ratio of lost-to-produced net energy) related to the temperatures and/or river flows, was 0.6%, a level equivalent to that of 2005 and 2006 (also particularly hot years). Nevertheless, EDF met its commitments to stakeholders in terms of low-water replenishment and agricultural support, as well those concerning flow rate restitution and observance of water levels for tourist-related purposes.

The EDF group commits in favour of improving air quality, by implementing certain measures: evolution of its generation fleet (closure, modernisation, transformation); ■ provision of its expertise (scientific community, authorities). ■

3.

Improving air quality by transforming the generation fleet (2) 3.3.2.3.1 With respect to its generation facilities, the EDF group sold its EDF Polska assets (cogeneration and electricity generation) in December 2017. This resulted in an automatic decrease in NO x and SO 2 emissions.

2018 Dust

2017 Dust

2016 Dust

SO 2

and NO x

emissions due to heat and electricity

SO 2

NO x

SO 2

NO x

SO 2

NO x

generation (kt) (1)

EDF Group

21

45 16

3

31

63 18

4

37

60 15

3

EDF

4

0.2

6

0.3

5

0.3

The EDF Group's SD policy states the target in paragraph 2.3: “Reduce SO 2 , NO x (1) 2005 and 2020”. In 2005, emissions were 236 kt, 209 kt and 14 kt respectively.

and dust emissions in the air from the Group's thermal fleet by 50% between

EDF group has invested in its plants across the world to reduce air pollution levels. In China, the Ultra-supercritical coal-fired power plants reach emission levels close to those of a gas-fired power plant with 5/10mg/Nm 3 of dust emissions, 35/50mg/Nm 3 of SO 2 emissions, and 35/50mg/Nm 3 of No x emissions. In Europe, thermal installations have been aligned with the best available techniques defined by the European Union. In Italy, Edison’s thermal installed base consists of CCGT power plants offering the most efficient technology with the lowest emissions. In the island systems, combustion facilities (3) are equipped with flue gas de-nitrification systems the most recent of which have a NO x reduction rate of 85% (4) . In addition, initiatives to reduce NO x emissions are implemented and adapted to each facility: combustion optimisation and/or de-nitrification treatment systems, and even reduction of the number of hours of operation for some turbines. In metropolitan France, the generation fleet is evolving: EDF continued the process of phasing out its fossil-fired power plants by shutting ■ down the last 700MW oil-fired unit in Porcheville in April 2018; at the same time, since the early 2000s, EDF has committed to an ambitious ■ initiative of modernising and improving the environmental performance of its thermal fleet, reconfigured to better serve the energy transition in mainland France, but also in Corsica and the French overseas departments. Today, environmental performances conform to the best available techniques defined by

the European Union. The end of the use of coal announced in the PPE led EDF to study a combustion solution with biomass pellets, made from recycled wood. The treatment of flue gases from this combustion is one of the important dimensions of the EcoCombust project; as a replacement for thermal power stations in particular, EDF group continued ■ with the transformation of its production facilities in France in 2018 by, for example, engaging the Solar Plan and the Storage Plan (5) , non-NO x and SO 2 emitting technologies. In Corsica and French Guiana, engines will be shut down by the end of 2023 and will be replaced by new, more efficient combustion plants. At the same time, in the island systems, EDF is developing isolated 100% renewable energy systems in addition to the initiatives for controlling Energy Demand and saving energy. At the international level, the MASERA microgrid demonstrator (6) set up in Singapore illustrates EDF's desire to propose innovative low-emission solutions in response to local energy issues, and seek alternatives to diesel generators at isolated sites. Improving air quality by supporting 3.3.2.3.2 public initiatives in this area EDF (7) has historical know-how on the understanding and modelling of atmospheric emissions and air-conditioning systems of buildings that rely mainly on a “high resolution” modelling tool. With CEREA (8) , EDF R&D participates in the scientific effort in the area of air quality, by developing open source models (9) .

These are river-side power plants using fresh water; seaside power plants are not concerned by the issues of temperature rise and flow rates. (1) Furthermore, and beyond its generation fleet, EDF is gearing up to convert its vehicle fleet to electric as part of the EV programme (see section 3.2.4.5 “Electric mobility”), (2) reducing its NOx and dust emissions at the same time. Combustion turbines and engines. (3) Case of engines equipped with systems for de-nitrification through Selective Catalytic Reduction. (4) See section 3.2.4.6.1."EDF Storage Plans". (5) Microgrid for Affordable and Sustainable Electricity in Remote Areas. The demonstrator is composed of solar, storage, mobility, and generation optimisation management (6) solutions. See section 3.2.4.6.2. "Smart grids". More specifically, it involves the MFEE Department of EDF R&D. (7) Atmospheric Environment Education and Research Centre, a joint laboratory at EDF R&D and the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées. (8) Free access to source code. (9)

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I Reference Document 2018