EDF response to Government energy announcements
EDF’s response following the UK government announcement this morning:
Simone Rossi UK CEO of EDF said: “Two years of energy crisis have demonstrated the urgency to ensure clean, secure, affordable energy for Britain’s homes and businesses. Action on nuclear and renewable generation, green hydrogen production, energy efficiency and electrification of heat and transport, as well as tackling obstacles to infrastructure development, are all welcome. Action at scale and pace is needed on all these fronts. These announcements go in the right direction, and we will review their detail.“
On nuclear:
Great British Nuclear’s launch reconfirms nuclear at the heart of the Government’s plans to get to net zero. Great British Nuclear can accelerate the delivery of new nuclear projects after Sizewell C by helping developers overcome obstacles in financing and planning. At Heysham and Hartlepool we have the land, people and community support for new nuclear, and look forward to working with GBN and others to support projects. Great British Nuclear can also be a powerful voice for nuclear skills development, making sure we not only have the projects we need to Get to net zero, but the people too.
On the Government’s reconfirmation of commitments to tackle energy efficiency and decarbonise household heating:
- We need to make choosing the green option the easy option for customers and this includes bringing costs down. Incentives for heat pump technologies and removing the levies which inflate the cost of electricity will be essential in the transition to Net Zero. To support, EDF is investing in the skills needed to deliver these technologies through its partnership with CB Heating and development of its training centre in Clacton.
- The ECO scheme has brought significant benefits to those most in need, which EDF has been a leader in delivering, and we hope to see even greater ambition in this area to bring down more people’s bills even sooner. Last year, we brought forward £20m investment in energy efficiency measures for those in fuel poverty via the ECO scheme.
On Renewables:
Matthieu Hue, CEO of EDF Renewables UK and Ireland, said: “We are at a pivotal moment in our fight against climate change and in the growth of clean energy within the UK. We have been calling on the government to pay close attention to the developing global race for renewables and to respond accordingly through ambitious policy change.
“We welcome the announcements made today, especially the shortlisting of our Tees Green Hydrogen project and that the government will not be making changes to the categories of agricultural land which had the potential to constrain the deployment of solar.
“To unlock the clean energy revolution that we need, we would also like to see an increase in the budget for the next Contract for Difference auction round. This would be a boost to the renewables industry and result in a greater volume of projects coming through with positive impacts on industrialisation, energy security and consumers bills.”
About EDF
EDF is helping Britain achieve Net Zero by leading the transition to a cleaner, low emission, electric future and tackling climate change. It is the UK’s largest producer of low-carbon electricity(1) and supplies millions of customers with electricity and gas.
It generates low carbon electricity from five nuclear power stations and more than thirty onshore wind farms and two offshore wind farms.
EDF is leading the UK's nuclear renaissance with the construction of a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point C, and there are advanced plans for a replica at Sizewell C in Suffolk. Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C will provide low carbon electricity to meet 14% of UK demand and power around 12 million homes.
EDF is one of the UK’s largest investors in renewables, with more than 1.5GW of renewable generation in operation and almost 14GW in planning and development across a range of technologies including onshore and offshore wind, solar and battery storage. We are constructing our largest offshore wind farm in Britain – the 450 MW Neart na Gaoithe project in Scotland.
EDF is helping its customers, both in business and at home, take their first steps to sustainably powering their lives. Whether it is buying an electric car, generating and storing electricity, selling energy back to the grid or installing a heat pump. EDF is one of the largest suppliers to British business and a leading supplier of innovative energy solutions that are helping businesses become more energy independent. In addition, the company’s energy services business, Dalkia, is one of the largest technical service providers in the UK and Ireland.
EDF is part of EDF Group, the world’s biggest electricity generator. In the UK, the company employs around 14,000 people at locations across England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
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