EDF Research & Development Strategy

As today's increasingly digital world dramatically changes the way we produce and consume, research into electricity generation, transmission and consumption is of decisive importance. To succeed in the energy transition, more than 2,000 EDF’s R&D division employees (representing 27 nationalities) are currently working on many different projects designed simultaneously to deliver low-carbon power generation, smarter energy transmission grids and more responsible energy consumption. The missions of EDF’s R&D are structured around 4 key priorities.

Priority 1: developing and testing new energy services for customers

Responding to customer expectations means thinking about new solutions that respond effectively to variable energy demand while also limiting carbon emissions. This involves:

• promoting new ways of using electricity more efficiently (heat pumps, electric mobility, etc.)
• developing digital energy services (real-time consumption control, smart load balancing, etc.)
• developing solutions that encourage energy savings (insulation, appliances, etc.)
• supporting local authorities in their energy plans for sustainable cities and regions

Priority 2: preparing the electrical systems and grids of tomorrow

This involves developing smart management tools that will make electrical systems more flexible and adaptable, encouraging the injection of intermittent energy sources into the grid, and designing new sustainable energy solutions at local and regional level.

Priority 3: consolidating and developing competitive, low-carbon energy generation mixes

One of the major challenges presented by the energy transition is to ensure the efficient coexistence of traditional generating methods with the development of renewables. Thus, EDF's R&D Division  ensures the flexible articulation of the production mix, the improvement of nuclear plant safety, the anticipation of environmental impacts and prepares the technologies of tomorrow.

Priority 4: Supporting EDF's Group international development

By the presence of its research centers in Europe (Germany, United Kingdom, Italy and Poland), Asia (China and Singapore) and the United States, EDF's R&D brings together research partnerships enabling it to deliver solutions and business models for the Group, this latter thus receiving the best level of the state of the international scientific and technical art.