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Coal and gas-fired plants supply two thirds of the world’s electricity
consumption. In response to growing global energy demand, the EDF
Group is participating in developing generation units on all continents
with a focus on environmental protection.
  
The Group pursued its efforts to reduce environmental impact, especially
dust emissions, notably at the La Maxe plant, where emissions were
reduced by more than 50% thanks to the renovation of the dustcollector
at unit 1 and the optimization of the combustion process.
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Fossil-fuelled plants in France played a key role in meeting
peak demand Production:  15.8
TWh
Availability rate:
86.1%
On-demand response rate (gas-fired plants): 94.7%
On-demand response rate (coal-fired plants): 97.3%
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Environmental responsibility worldwide
The 1,760 MW Rybnik plant in Poland is using a denitrification
technology that is unique in the country. Its electric dust precipitators
have a 99% efficiency rate and have reduced sulfur dioxide emissions
by 65,000 tons a year since 1990. Rybnik has also implemented a program
to reduce noise pollution for 2003. The plant won the “Gold Ecoenergy”
award in 1999, and was awarded the “Ecology Leader 2000” award by
the Polish Ministry of the Environment.
In Hungary, BERt, a Budapest-based company producing heat and
electricity (six plants, 262 MWe, 2,554 MWth), is reducing its nitrogen
oxide (NOX) emissions by 30%, and its emissions of sulfur dioxide
particles (SO2) by half, and is cleaning up the soil around its six
sites. Staff are receiving special environmental training.
In Africa, Azito’s 294 MW gas-fired plant is taking part in
a sustainable development program launched by the Ivory Coast government
in 1997. The plant produced 1,490 GWh in 2001, while respecting NOX
and SO2 emission regulations and World Bank environmental criteria.
Acoustic emissions are being brought below regulatory thresholds through
special equipment on air filters.
 Innovation
for clean technologies
The widespread use of the ORCHIDEE software,which improves the
performances of dust collectors, combined with experimental
use of ETRETAT, which improves the collectors’ electricity
supply, is paving the way for further progress. Furthermore,
the desulfurization facilities now in operation in the Havre,
England and Cordemais are doing their part, with a performance
of close to 100% at Cordemais. Starting in 2005, modifications
will allow for a reduction in NO x emissions. |
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