EDF boosts its activities in China with agreements to build and operate two offshore wind farms and to optimize a heating and air-conditioning networks in the city of Wuhan

On Monday 25th March 2019, on the occasion of an official visit to France by Xi Jinping, the President of the People’s Republic of China, EDF signed two agreements for low-carbon projects in China. The first agreement formally establishes the partnership entered into with the Chinese power utility China Energy Investment Corporation (CEI), seeking to jointly deliver two offshore wind power projects in China. The Dongtai IV and V offshore wind farms account for a total installed capacity of 500 MW and will be the EDF Group’s first offshore projects in China. The second agreement, signed with the power utility Huadia, concerns the operation of a heating and air-conditioning network in the city of Wuhan.

EDF gains a foothold on the offshore wind market in China

The cooperation agreement signed with China Energy Investment, a leading industrial player on China’s electricity market, concerns EDF’s acquisition of a stake in the Dongtai IV and V offshore wind projects, located off the coast of Jiangsu Province north of Shanghai. The Dongtain IV projet is currently being built; the construction of Dongtai V is scheduled to begin in 2019. Subject to the signing of the final contracts, both partners will build and operate a total installed capacity of 500 MW, which will be gradually commissioned by 2021.

With 3.8 GW of offshore wind capacity already in operation, China is a promising market which should continue to grow quickly and account for nearly one half of the global fleet by 2030 with 50 GW in operation.

Via its subsidiary EDF Renouvelables, the EDF Group is a well-established player on the world’s offshore wind market with more than 500 people working exclusively in this sector, with solid skills in all key areas comprising the development, delivery and operation of a project. The Group is now operating or developing 5.3 GW of offshore wind power, whilst operating and maintaining 500 MW of this capacity. In total, the Group currently operates more than 13 GW of gross wind and solar capacity in France and around the world, including more than 310 MW in China.

An agreement for the operation of a heating and air-conditioning network in the city of Wuhan

EDF and the power utility Huandian, have signed a cooperation agreement aimed at enhancing the performance of a heating and air-conditioning network for one of the districts of the city of Wuhan. The network is expected to provide heating for 100 000 customers and air-conditioning for 500 000 square metres of office space. The signatories will jointly examine the feasibility of using smart energy management tools already being used by the EDF Group for the heating network in the city of Sanmenxia.

Jean-Bernard Lévy, EDF Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer: “The agreements signed today consolidate EDF’s foothold in China, a strategic country for the Group’s international expansion. In China, EDF is now active in all main business segments, all of these helping the Group to support China’s energy ambitions whilst reducing CO2 emissions: nuclear, renewables and energy services.”