EDF Energies Nouvelles
Encyclopedia
EDF Energies Nouvelles is a French renewable energy
corporation, half owned by French electric utility Électricité de France
. It was formed in 2004 from its predecessor SIIF Energies and was floated on the Paris stock exchange in 2006.
EDF En is primarily involved in the production of wind power
in Europe and the United States, although it is investing heavily in solar energy. It also has interests in ocean power and biofuels.
, 50 percent held by state-owned electric utility Électricité de France
and the remaining 25 percent by founder Pâris Mouratoglou and family. It operates in 13 countries in North America and Europe.
Almost half of EDF En's revenue comes from its wholly owned American subsidiary, EnXco, which was acquired in 2002. EnXco builds and operates wind and solar projects under its own name in the United States.
In Europe EDF En develops similar renewable energy projects, often with the participation of local partners or other energy firms. EDF En is currently building France's largest solar panel plant in a 50/50 partnership with First Solar
.
In 2000 EDF purchased 35% of the SIIF, and in 2002 raised its stake to 50%. In the same year SIIF acquired the American wind energy firm EnXco, which more than doubled its revenues. In 2004 SIIF Energies decided to change its name to EDF Energies Nouvelles (EDF "New Energies") to reflect its largest shareholder, and in 2006 it floated 25% of its capital onto the public capital markets.
Since 2007, EDF Energies Nouvelles has expanded rapidly into solar generation, and began laying the groundwork for eventual moves into algae biofuels, ocean energy and biogas
markets.
projects, but has the goal of diversifying into all commercially viable renewable energy
technologies. At the end of 2008 the firm had 1,564 MW of net installed generation capacity around the world, with an additional 17,000 MW under development.
made up 89% of the firm's net installed capacity, with hydropower
largely making up the remainder. The figure for solar power
was only .9%.
In 2009, however, EDF En identified solar photovoltaic energy as an additional core business and currently has 2,078MWp of solar power under development, representing an 100 fold increase of its existing solar capacity. In July 2009, EDF En announced a 50/50 joint venture with thin film solar leader First Solar
to build France's largest solar photovoltaic plant. The plant is expected to generate 100MWp of generating capacity a year, and guarantees EDF En the right to purchase the plant's entire output for the first 10 years of operation.
wave power and desalination technology, with the Carnegie Corporation of Australia holding the remainder, along with all the rights in the Southern Hemisphere (with the exception of the French department of Réunion
). Unlike other wave energy technologies, CETO uses undersea buoys to pump pressurized water to the shore and generate electricity with a traditional turbine. This system avoids the visual impact of floating wave farm
s, and does not require transmission lines be built into the sea. It also offers the possibility of co-generating renewable freshwater
through a reverse osmosis
process . EDF En hopes to bring the CETO technology to market by 2011.
EDF En also has a partnership with French shipbuilder DCNS for the sharing of marine generation technologies, including wave energy and the more experimental current power
, and ocean thermal
.
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
corporation, half owned by French electric utility Électricité de France
Électricité de France
Électricité de France S.A. is the second largest French utility company. Headquartered in Paris, France, with €65.2 billion in revenues in 2010, EDF operates a diverse portfolio of 120,000+ megawatts of generation capacity in Europe, Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.EDF is one of...
. It was formed in 2004 from its predecessor SIIF Energies and was floated on the Paris stock exchange in 2006.
EDF En is primarily involved in the production of wind power
Wind power
Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity, windmills for mechanical power, windpumps for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships....
in Europe and the United States, although it is investing heavily in solar energy. It also has interests in ocean power and biofuels.
Organization
EDF Energies Nouvelles is a publicly traded corporation with 25% of its equity capital trading on the Euronext ParisEuronext Paris
Euronext Paris is France's securities market, formerly known as the Paris Bourse, which merged with the Amsterdam, Lisbon and Brussels exchanges in September 2000 to form Euronext NV, which is the second largest exchange in Europe behind the UK's London Stock Exchange...
, 50 percent held by state-owned electric utility Électricité de France
Électricité de France
Électricité de France S.A. is the second largest French utility company. Headquartered in Paris, France, with €65.2 billion in revenues in 2010, EDF operates a diverse portfolio of 120,000+ megawatts of generation capacity in Europe, Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.EDF is one of...
and the remaining 25 percent by founder Pâris Mouratoglou and family. It operates in 13 countries in North America and Europe.
Almost half of EDF En's revenue comes from its wholly owned American subsidiary, EnXco, which was acquired in 2002. EnXco builds and operates wind and solar projects under its own name in the United States.
In Europe EDF En develops similar renewable energy projects, often with the participation of local partners or other energy firms. EDF En is currently building France's largest solar panel plant in a 50/50 partnership with First Solar
First Solar
First Solar, Inc. is an American manufacturer of thin film photovoltaic modules, or solar panels, and a provider to PV power plants of supporting services that include finance, construction, maintenance and end-of-life panel recycling...
.
History
EDF Energies Nouvelles traces its origins to its predecessor company, SIIF Energies. SIIF was founded in 1990 by Pâris Mouratoglou to develop small scale hydroelectric and solar projects in France and its overseas territories. In 1999 SIIF expanded into developing wind power, which rapidly became its dominant business.In 2000 EDF purchased 35% of the SIIF, and in 2002 raised its stake to 50%. In the same year SIIF acquired the American wind energy firm EnXco, which more than doubled its revenues. In 2004 SIIF Energies decided to change its name to EDF Energies Nouvelles (EDF "New Energies") to reflect its largest shareholder, and in 2006 it floated 25% of its capital onto the public capital markets.
Since 2007, EDF Energies Nouvelles has expanded rapidly into solar generation, and began laying the groundwork for eventual moves into algae biofuels, ocean energy and biogas
Biogas
Biogas typically refers to a gas produced by the biological breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen. Organic waste such as dead plant and animal material, animal dung, and kitchen waste can be converted into a gaseous fuel called biogas...
markets.
Businesses
EDF Energies Nouvelles is largely a developer of wind farmWind farm
A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electric power. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines, and cover an extended area of hundreds of square miles, but the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other...
projects, but has the goal of diversifying into all commercially viable renewable energy
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
technologies. At the end of 2008 the firm had 1,564 MW of net installed generation capacity around the world, with an additional 17,000 MW under development.
Core Businesses
The heart of EDF En's revenues are derived from the construction of wind farms in the United States and Europe, which it either sells to utility customers or operates for electrical generation revenues. Most often EDF En partners with utilities or other energy firms, and thus only owns a certain share of each individual project. At the end of 2008 wind energyWind energy
Wind energy is the kinetic energy of air in motion; see also wind power.Total wind energy flowing through an imaginary area A during the time t is:E = ½ m v2 = ½ v 2...
made up 89% of the firm's net installed capacity, with hydropower
Hydropower
Hydropower, hydraulic power, hydrokinetic power or water power is power that is derived from the force or energy of falling water, which may be harnessed for useful purposes. Since ancient times, hydropower has been used for irrigation and the operation of various mechanical devices, such as...
largely making up the remainder. The figure for solar power
Solar power
Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...
was only .9%.
In 2009, however, EDF En identified solar photovoltaic energy as an additional core business and currently has 2,078MWp of solar power under development, representing an 100 fold increase of its existing solar capacity. In July 2009, EDF En announced a 50/50 joint venture with thin film solar leader First Solar
First Solar
First Solar, Inc. is an American manufacturer of thin film photovoltaic modules, or solar panels, and a provider to PV power plants of supporting services that include finance, construction, maintenance and end-of-life panel recycling...
to build France's largest solar photovoltaic plant. The plant is expected to generate 100MWp of generating capacity a year, and guarantees EDF En the right to purchase the plant's entire output for the first 10 years of operation.
Diversification
Since 2007 EDF En has pursued a strategy of diversifying itself away from its core wind energy business. While solar energy has since become a core focus of the group, EDF En maintains smaller interests in several other areas of renewable energy:Biomass
EDF En holds a 25% interest in Alco, a Belgian ethanol producer, and runs a small facility in Southern Italy which generates electricity from olive oil waste.Distributed Generation
EDF En typically develops large scale projects intended for use by electric utilities. However, it maintains a 50/50 partnership with EDF in EDF Energies Reparties, which sells small scale solar and wind directly to homebuilders and homeowners for on-site distribution. In 2008 the business provided nearly 15% of gross revenues.Ocean Renewable
EDF En owns 50% of the Northern Hemisphere development rights to the CETOCETO Wave Power
CETO is a wave energy technology that converts ocean swells into renewable power and desalinated freshwater. It was developed by Carnegie Wave Energy Limited, an Australian ASX-listed inventor and owner of the patented device...
wave power and desalination technology, with the Carnegie Corporation of Australia holding the remainder, along with all the rights in the Southern Hemisphere (with the exception of the French department of Réunion
Réunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
). Unlike other wave energy technologies, CETO uses undersea buoys to pump pressurized water to the shore and generate electricity with a traditional turbine. This system avoids the visual impact of floating wave farm
Wave farm
A wave farm or wave power farm is a collection of machines in the same location and used for the generation of wave power electricity.-Portugal:...
s, and does not require transmission lines be built into the sea. It also offers the possibility of co-generating renewable freshwater
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
through a reverse osmosis
Reverse osmosis
Reverse osmosis is a membrane technical filtration method that removes many types of large molecules and ions from solutions by applying pressure to the solution when it is on one side of a selective membrane. The result is that the solute is retained on the pressurized side of the membrane and...
process . EDF En hopes to bring the CETO technology to market by 2011.
EDF En also has a partnership with French shipbuilder DCNS for the sharing of marine generation technologies, including wave energy and the more experimental current power
Marine current power
Marine current power is a form of marine energy obtained from harnessing of the kinetic energy of marine currents, such as the Gulf stream. Although not widely used at present, marine current power has an important potential for future electricity generation...
, and ocean thermal
Ocean thermal energy conversion
Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion uses the difference between cooler deep and warmer shallow or surface ocean waters to run a heat engine and produce useful work, usually in the form of electricity....
.