Alexandre Perra, senior executive vice president of innovation, strategy and planning at EDF Group (EDF), said in a press release a few days ago that EDF will increase investment in renewable energy, especially hydrogen energy-related projects, will Through its subsidiary, Hydronics, it uses nuclear and renewable energy to electrolyze water to produce hydrogen, and develop a 3GW project to achieve an annual hydrogen production of 450,000 tons. The project is expected to invest about 2 billion to 3 billion euros. EDF will also be the leader in the European green hydrogen market by 2030.
Alexander Pella said that today's global hydrogen production is about 80 million tons, but most of it comes from fossil fuels. EDF's goal is to produce 100% of low-carbon hydrogen and use it in the most difficult to decarbonize industries and transportation. . The layout of the hydrogen energy field, EDF is not a whim, its EIFER research center in Karlsruhe has been actively developing the hydrogen field for more than 15 years. In 2015, when EDF formulated its 2030 strategic goals, it identified the three major business areas of nuclear power, renewable energy and urban energy services as its strategic main business areas.
In order to expand the company's hydrogen energy map, in June 2018, EDF invested 16 million euros to acquire a 21.7% stake in McPhy, a hydrogen production, storage and distribution equipment supplier; Develop zero-carbon hydrogen production business.
At present, EDF mainly has 3 large hydrogen energy projects in Europe. The first German West Coast 100 (Westküste 100) project, which was approved by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy in August 2020, was constructed and operated under the leadership of EDF. The ultimate goal of the project is to build a 700MW electrolysis hydrogen production by 2030. ability.
The second is the UK Teesside Green Hydrogen Project, launched this year. EDF has participated in the investment, construction and operation of the Teesside offshore wind farm, and plans to build a new photovoltaic farm near Redcar to power its hydrogen electrolyzers, which will in turn provide green hydrogen. .
The third project is in Auxerre, France. EDF has developed and constructed an on-site electrolysis hydrogen production and refueling station with an installed capacity of 1MW in the first phase. It can produce 400kg of low-carbon hydrogen per day by on-site electrolysis, and supply 5 vehicles equipped with hydrogen fuel cells. Buses can reduce CO2 emissions by 2,200 tons per year. By 2025, the project plans to gradually increase the electrolysis capacity to 3MW, providing clean hydrogen energy to more hydrogen-powered buses, light commercial vehicles, municipal vehicles and other transportation vehicles.
EDF was established in 1946 by the merger of more than 1,700 small power producers and transmission and distribution companies in France. The company's business covers power generation, transmission, distribution, energy supply and trade, and energy services. In 2021, EDF will achieve a turnover of 84.46 billion euros. Since the 1980s, EDF has been developing hydropower and thermal power plants in China, and is now one of the largest foreign investors in China's power generation market. Head of engineering technology; participated in the construction and operation of two EPR nuclear reactors (1750 MW) in Taishan, etc.
