The new tariff, Empower Exclusive, is designed to spur yet more uptake of Britain’s estimated 1.2 million homes fitted with solar PV arrays.

Exclusively available to new customers who install a panels-plus battery bundle through EDF’s in-house installer, Contact Solar, the Empower Exclusive tariff is promoted as saving a standard home more than £800 per year against EdF’s standard variable tariff.

EdF is also offering £500 off a new panels-plus-battery installation to the promotion’s first 500 customers, and without any deposit before installation.

EdF bought Chorley-based Contact Solar earlier this year and has integrated it into its operations.  The supplier says more price & package deals related to home solar are in the offing.

This first deal helps customers charge their batteries overnight, providing three hours of discounted, zero carbon electricity for three hours starting at 1:00am.  By charging the battery more cheaply overnight, the discount helps householders reduce their reliance on external supply during peak hours.

With systems available for on average £8,500 for a typical 3-bedroom house, Contact Solar’s package offer includes 10 panels, a 5kW hybrid inverter and 5.32kWh battery, all installation and scaffolding costs, a 10-year battery and inverter warranty, a 25-year panel warranty, virtual and technical survey costs, and access to a system monitoring and performance app.

All combinations of solar and battery installs will also benefit from 0% VAT.

Tom Taylor, director at Contact Solar, said: “We’re delighted to now be a fully integrated part of EdF, bringing exceptional new benefits to customers such as this new exclusive energy bundle.

Philippe Commaret, EdF’s managing director of customers, added: “We know more and more people are looking for ways to save cash and carbon, which is why we’re pleased to bring this unique solar product bundle to the market.

To check eligibility for the tariff, click here: Tariff Eligibility Criteria | EDF (EdFenergy.com)

For more information or to sign up to the Empower Exclusive tariff, click here: https://www.EdFenergy.com/solar#empower

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The decision was made following an assessment of the nuclear site licence application made by Sizewell C Ltd, EDF’s applicant body.  The supervising authority concluded that the application has met all the requirements set out in regulatory guidance.

Today’s move follows grants of a development consent order in January by East Suffolk district and Suffolk County councils.

Last September, the government, Sizewell C and EDF launched an equity raise process to attract private investors into the project. While triggering the DCO and entering the construction phase is not dependent on a final investment decision, discussions with potential investors are ongoing and a final investment decision is expected later in 2024.

In its initial assessment in 2022 the ONR identified two matters requiring resolution before a licence could be granted. They related to the shareholders’ agreement and ownership of land at the site. Both snags have now been resolved to ONR’s satisfaction.

In addition, the regulator has concluded that progress made since 2022, relating to both Sizewell C Ltd’s organisation and the suitability of the proposed site, do not undermine ONR’s other findings from the earlier nuclear site licence assessment.

Although the granting of a site licence is a significant step, it does not permit the start of nuclear-related construction on the site.

ONR’s regulatory responsibility starts at the point of granting of a nuclear site licence. Now granted, it is able to use the powers within that  licence to require Sizewell C Ltd to request our permission for starting nuclear-related construction.

Similarly, the licensee is required to seek ONR’s  permission to proceed to subsequent key construction and commissioning stages up to the start of commercial operation and beyond.

Mark Foy, the ONR’s chief executive & chief nuclear inspector, said: “I am pleased to confirm that following extensive engagement and review by the ONR team, our assessment of the Sizewell C application is complete and a nuclear site has been licence granted.

“The licensing process is fundamental in confirming that operators of a nuclear site are ready and able to meet their obligations under the nuclear site licence, to protect their workforce and the public.

“The granting of this licence is one step in ONR’s process, allowing us to provide greater regulatory oversight, advice and challenge to the licensee as they progress their plans.

“We will continue working with Sizewell C to ensure that the highest levels of quality, safety and security are met.”

By commencing formal construction, a £250m package of funding for the local community will become available during the construction phase of the project, including £23m for community projects, £100m for the environment, £12m to support local tourism, and a £12m housing fund.

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The incident occurred on 23 December 2023 while Reactor 1 was being returned to service when a valve controlling the flow of superheated steam from the reactor failed, resulting in a steam leak.

The ONR confirmed nobody was injured as a result of the incident, and there was no risk to nuclear safety, the public or the environment.

However, the watchdog identified the potential for serious personal injury, if people had been present in the area near the valve.

Mike Webb, ONR’s superintending inspector for reactors, said: “Our investigation found that EdF had failed to ensure that the valve system was properly maintained and, by failing to do this, EdF had put at risk the safety of their employees.

“We will engage with EdF during the period of the improvement notice to ensure positive progress is made to address the shortfall.”

ONR has issued the improvement notice to EdF under the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 (PSSR) Regulation 12 (Maintenance) and the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 Section 2(1).

EDF has until 30 April to comply with the improvement notice.

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Due to become operational this year, the grid-connected park is close to London’s M25 motorway.  It was co-developed and financed by IB Vogt and DIF Infrastructure VII.  Its combined capacity of 116MW will make Warley one of the UK’s largest co-located sites.

The deal represents one of the UK’s largest combined hybrid offtake and optimisation agreements. Over its ten year duration, EdF will manage the co-located assets in real time, making efficient use of the shared grid connection.

EdF’s roster of more than 1GW of renewable assets already generating, plus 5GW in construction or development, puts it at the head of UK low carbon generators. It is also the nation’s biggest buyer of renewable power from independent generators.

EdF’s commercial director for wholesale market service Stuart Fenner said: “We are very pleased that we have been chosen to deliver trading, optimisation and offtake services for one of the UK’s largest co-located solar and battery sites. This unique deal exemplifies the innovation needed to address our energy challenges, which will help to secure green energy for the future and deliver on our commitment to help Britain achieve net zero.”

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Among 2,000 homes polled for the company, 56% of billpayers fear for their ability to meet bills at unprecedented levels, a rise of 13% on last winter.

With Ofgem ordering a raise this quarter in its energy price cap, domestic bill payers have more than doubled online searches year on year for advice on energy efficiency.  Quarter against quarter,^.web searches rose by 53% .

With typical dual fuel bills now double what they were two years ago, EdF’s research has convinced it to commit £185 million more to efficiency advice and related measures.

EdF is upping by £103million this year’s spending on its ECO and Great British Insulation Schemes.  Improving EPC ratings of an 14,000 homes with new energy saving kit, is at the heart of the initiative.   The supplier calculates savings will amount to between £700 and £800 per year.

Since Christmas 2022, the company’s research tells it 36% of all UK households have invested in at least one bill-saving step. Most popular among householders taking action have been underfloor insulation, installed by 57%, followed by radiator panels, adopted by 53%.

With 77% of households believing that more needs to be done to support vulnerable customers, and a fifth worrying about falling into arrears, EdF says its investment will offer eligible customers living in a home with a low EPC rating a package of free energy-saving measures and heating improvements to help bring down bills permanently and improve their homes EPC rating.

EdF managing director for customers Philippe Commaret commented: “People are concerned about keeping their homes warm in a cost-effective way. Tackling the energy efficiency of people’s homes is the number one way we can help to reduce bills and we’re not choosing to stand still or wait.

“Our extra £103m on the ECO and Great British Insulation Schemes this year which will deliver savings to thousands of vulnerable customers.”

EdF is also launching a new Home Efficiency Hub, a tool where customers can create a free tailored plan to boost home energy efficiency. Links to qualified installers are included. The plan also sets out any grants or funding that may be available, saving customers energy and time, helping them reduce their emissions.

Checks for eligibility can be made here.

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The transnational nukes-to-offshore-wind combine positions itself as Britain’s biggest generator of zero carbon electricity.

Two years ago it took a minority stake in the 23-year old Clacton, Essex based ASHP-maker. Their partnership boosted CB Heating’s skilled workforce fivefold in its first year, training an extra 370 engineers.  Full ownership is expected to yield still more. The purchase price was not disclosed.

As deployment of air- and ground-sourced extractors of low carbon energy lags woefully behind the government’s target of 600,000 per year by 2028, EdF’s move coincides with D-ESNZ’s recent 50% boost to the household pump subsidy.

It now offers householders £7,500 per home ASHP installation.  Extending the Boiler Upgrade Scheme by three years until 2008 is Whitehall’s supporting incentive.

With the Future Homes Standard set to ban installation of gas boilers in new homes after 2024, and a total ban on gas boilers by 2035, both acquiror and acquiree intend today’s consolidation to slash waiting times. EDF wants these to drop by half from their current three to four months.

The deal will also see EdF putting a dedicated team in place to deliver heat pumps to homes.

A major challenge confronting the government’s overarching decarbonisation strategy is a dearth of qualified heat engineers.

According to economic consultancy Nesta, Britain needs 27,000 qualified technicians to meet that target of delivering 600,000 heat pump installations every year by 2028.   At present only 4,500 qualified installers earn a living from heat pumps in the UK,^,compared to more than 150,000 gas safe engineers.

Since August 2022, EdF’s partnership with CB Heating has aided development of the Heat Pump Installers Network (HPIN) Academy, delivering free training nationwide to upskill engineers at every level.

In consequence, heat pump installers under training have risen from 90 experts to 463 now. The Academy has capacity to train 4,000 new heat pump installers every year.

Clayton Browne, managing director of CB Heating, said: “Now we have has the resource to continue to grow our HPIN venture, already the largest network of qualified trained heat pump installers in the UK.

“We plan to train over 1,000 heat pump installers in 2024, meaning a quarter of all estimated heat pump installers in the UK will be a HPIN member.

Philippe Commaret, EdF’s managing director of customers said: “The investment we’re making in the heat pump market is representative of all the work we’re doing to help Britain achieve net zero.

EdF’s rival, Octopus, now Britain’s second-biggest energy supplier by account volume, bought Craigavon -based pump manufacturer RED in April 2022.

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Grant-givers at Scottish Enterprise have released £9 million of tax-payers’ funds to re-purpose Hunterston, the former nuclear plant on the Ayrshire coast, as a factory making high-voltage cable for the £1.4 billion marine section of the Xlinks venture.  At full operation later this decade, a re-purposed Hunterston could employ as many as 900 permanent, highly skilled workers.

Essex-based developers Xlinks, headed by McKinsey alumnus Simon Morrish and ex-Tesco’s boss Dave Lewis, could not find a global supplier capable of competitively supplying the four cables needed for the £18 billion mega-project.

In the face of international political uncertainties confronting Xlinks, they decided to build their own factory on Scotland’s coast.

XLCC, the sister company set up by Xlinks to build the HVDC cable at Hunterston, budgets at £1.4 billion the costs of converting its activities from atom-splitting to twisting miles of metal thread.

Xlinks requires four HVDC connections each 3,800 kilometres long, the world’s longest. They will link solar and wind farms in southern Morocco via the Bay of Biscay to landfall at Alverdiscott, north Devon, and a reserved input to the National Grid.

Hunterston B ceased nuclear generation in January 2022, after 46 years.  Its Magnox sister, Hunterston A, went dark in 1990.

Owners EdF have scheduled defueling of Hunterston B to start in 2025, a year before the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s Magnox arm is due to take formal control of the site.

Confirmed today, Scottish Enterprise’s handout has followed North Ayrshire planners’ approval of the cable-making facility.

Recipient XLCC’s business case for its grant application rests on industry projections that worldwide demand for new subsea power transmission will outstrip supply by two-and-a-half  times as soon as 2030.

Some international cable makers are reported to have nine years’ worth of work already on order, thus presenting a critical bottleneck for long-distance transmission of clean power varieties from their sunniest or windiest spots of origin, to populated centres of highest demand.

Ian Douglas, boss of the cable maker welcomed Scottish Enterprise’s decision. ”As XLCC  continues to work towards building a greener future for Scotland and the wider UK’, said Douglas, ‘investing in and mobilising the power of local communities is vital.

”Green energy is the future, and we want to empower Scotland to be part of the transition.”

In quest of maximum benefits for the nation and its south-west, he pledged XLCC will work closely with Team Scotland and its partners including Scottish Enterprise, North Ayrshire Council, Skills Development Scotland and local schools and training institutions.

Cabled, not wireless

Adrian Gillespie, CEO of Scottish Enterprise, said: “XLCC’s plans for Hunterston have the potential to be transformational for the regional economy and an extremely important addition to Scotland’s offshore renewables capability. Together with our Team Scotland partners, we’re working closely with the company as it seeks to address the enormous and growing demand for HVDC cables both in Scotland and internationally.”

From Edinburgh’s devolved government, wellbeing and economy secretary Neil Gray MSP added: “This milestone £1.4 billion project is a welcome vote of confidence in Scotland’s renewable energy revolution. That is why Scottish Enterprise is supporting it with £9 million to attract wider private sector investment“.

North Ayrshire Council’s leader Cllr Marie Burns echoed them: “This is one of the largest ever investments in Scotland and the significance of this development cannot be overstated. It is incredibly exciting for the North Coast, North Ayrshire and beyond.

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Located at Stony, Milton Keynes, the battery energy storage system (BESS) began its working life at the end of last month.

EDF now manages the device through its Powershift platform, accessing revenues and power trades including the Balancing Mechanism, wholesale deals and ancillary services.

The French-state dominated owner already manages two 20MW batteries in Britain on behalf of Gore Street. Adding 80MW in Milton Keynes brings the fund’s operational portfolio to over 370MW.

A leading operator of utility-scale batteries, Gore Street has existing installed capacity close to 110MW online in the UK, forming part of a 292MW operational portfolio across four national energy markets.

“EDF’s commercial offer represented best value for Gore Street Energy Storage Fund”, said Alicja Kowalewska-Montfort, technical principal at Gore Street Capital, the eponymous fund’s investment manager.

“EDF has a strong track record with two of our existing assets, making the agreement to take on Stony a natural progression based on consistently good performance.

Stuart Fenner, EDF’s director of wholesale market services, said: “We are very pleased that Gore Street Energy Storage Fund has once again chosen EDF as its trading and optimisation partner. We are committed to continuing to strengthen our relationship into the future.

“This partnership will provide essential flexibility to the energy system and reinforces EDF’s commitment to helping Britain achieve net zero.”

Gore Street Energy Storage Fund launched in May 2018, as the first such internationally diversified storage fund to be quoted on the London Stock Exchange. Its portfolio totals 1.17GW across battery storage facilities in Great Britain and Ireland, the mainland of western Europe and in the USA.

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Octopus was one of 18 licensed power retailers to be assessed by the publication, a promoter of consumption with a conscience.  Marks out of 100 were awarded, based on each firm’s treatment of the environment, people and animals.

British Gas and Shell Energy came equal last in the Guide’s assessment, each scoring 33 points from that possible 100.  EDF was only marginally better, picking up 40.

The Guide cited as its justifications British Gas’ and EDF’s continuing links with the nuclear power industry.  Shell’s association with pollution, greenwashing and other poor environmental practices drew the assessors’ ire.

Octopus drew the publication’s praise for actions such as its launch in November 2021 of the Octo Assist fund. The £15 million reserve provides extra help for its customers most in need.

The publication noted Octopus has also supplied thousands of energy-efficient electric blankets to struggling households, saving each a claimed average of £300 per year.

Its 100% renewable energy tariffs, backed by offers of reduced fees for power flowing from new wind turbines in east Yorkshire and South Wales, caught the assessors’ eye.   Greg Jackson’s enterprise has also committed £5 million to create the Centre for Net Zero, a lab devoted to researching low carbon energy.

Kat Alexander, director of The Good Shopping Guide said: “In a time of economic uncertainty, we are pleased to see that Octopus Energy is supporting its most vulnerable customers while maintaining strong environmental standards.

“We are delighted to welcome Octopus Energy into our community of Ethical Accreditation member companies and commend this impressive achievement.”

The winner’s founder Greg Jackson responded: “Octopus’s team work relentlessly to make clean energy the new normal.

“With huge investment and innovation, we’re increasingly able to make green power cheap power – addressing both climate and social justice. We’re delighted to be recognised for this with full marks from The Good Shopping Guide – it’ll help us campaign to build more cheap renewable generation and to bring the full benefits to more customers.”

In contrast, the judges said EDF’s claim to be Britain’s biggest generator of zero carbon electricity was undermined by its failure to publicise its nuclear sources. Data for the financial year to April 2022 showed 63.1% of EDF’s electricity was made using reactors.

The magazine says nuclear feedstock such as uranium and plutonium are finite resources, so cannot be considered renewable.

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The project’s tech, from a consortium including Wärtsilä, H&MV, inverter makers SMA Solar Technology and GE Grid Solutions, stands to boost Britain’s uptake of renewables.

Wind-generated electricity from onshore turbines and the offshore Viking and Beatrice farms will flow through the device, ready for despatch when most needed.

Funding comes in the form of £235 million of long-term debt customised by five banks, led by NatWest.

Believed to be Europe’s biggest ever project financing for battery storage, the sum is part of Zenobē’s recently announced £ 750 million investment plan for Scotland, set to take the company’s assets north of the border to over 1GW.

Today’s initial 200MW/400MWh capacity is scheduled to go live as early as summer 2024.   The full 300MW/600MWh should be available in the second half of 2026.

When commissioned, Blackhillock will be the world’s first grid-scale device to provide a full suite of active and reactive power services. It will also be the largest transmission connected battery in Europe.

Only four days ago, Zenobē announced a 100 MW storage device going live at Capenhurst, Cheshire, pictured, designed to provide grid stability and more renewables to Merseyside.

The Scottish project is calculated to save consumers up to £170 million from their bills over the 15 years of Zenobē’s contract with National Grid ESO.   Stability services specified in the deal include short-circuit level and inertia balancing.

Wärtsilä is appointed as Blackhillock’s supplier of battery energy storage systems, or BESS.  GE Grid Solutions will deliver two 180 MVA transformers, with H&MV providing balance of plant works.  Glasgow-based civil engineers RJ McLeod have been brought in for site works.

Zenobē co-founder James Basden said: “Blackhillock will use cutting edge technology to provide essential services needed to lower consumer bills and bring more renewable energy onto the grid.

“This is one of several major battery flexibility projects we’re working on in Scotland at the moment, shaping the future for how grid scale battery projects will work on grids across the globe.”

In the view of Jason Devonshire-Mander of SMA Solar UK, “These kinds of stability plants are the missing link to 100% renewables. Value stacking reveals this as a cost effective solution compared to traditional technologies“,

“Our grid forming solution stabilizes frequency and voltage instantly and inherently”.

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Two of Drax’s two remaining coal-furnaces are reportedly being ‘warmed’ up at Selby today, as is one turbine at EDF’s West Burton plant on the River Trent, following requests yesterday from the nation’s backbone power transmitter.

The requests comply with the winter contingency contract, which the operator sealed last summer with Britain’s last two generators to use coal.

NG-ESO is also engaging retailers to implement load shifting tonight, asking them to pay customers for a second time as much as £3 per kWh foregone to turn down home heat and reschedule other power-intensive applications such as cooking in electric ovens in the hour after 5pm.

The grid first enacted DSR in December, following successful trials of its flexible response offering among 26 licensed suppliers. Uptake then from volunteer households was big enough to avoid extra generation by coal.

Windless skies caused by high pressure stationary over the country for several days are behind the detour back to a possible partial resort to coal.   Wind power dropped yesterday to only 6.89 GW, or around 18% of all electricity consumed.

Averaged over all of 2022, wind power accounted for 26.8% of UK consumption.   On 10 January this year, British wind farms set a new record, producing 21.69GWh in one day.

“Our forecasts show electricity supply margins are expected to be tighter than normal on Monday evening,” the ESO announced over the weekend.

“We have instructed coal-fired power units to be available to increase electricity supplies should it be needed tomorrow evening.

“This does not mean electricity supplies are at risk and people should not be worried. These are precautionary measures to maintain the buffer of spare capacity we need.”

Today’s hiatus comes as UK generation becomes ever greener. December saw over half of our electricity originating from zero-carbon sources.  According to ESO, 30 December saw a new record high, with a peak of 87.2% of electricity coming from zero-carbon sources in one day.

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The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) said it could now reveal the action it had taken because the statutory period for appealing against the notices had passed.

It said inspectors issued three prohibition notices relating to specific activities on the site involving vehicles and plant machinery.

The notices were issued on November 18, five days after Jason Waring, aged 48, of Nottingham, was crushed by moving plant machinery.

Mr Waring had reportedly worked as a supervisor for the site’s main contractor Bylor for four years. He leaves a widow, Sarah, and four children.

The ONR enforcement action was taken against NNB GenCo HPC – the company through which EDF Energy is building Hinkley C – and contractors Bouygues Travaux Publics SAS and Laing O’Rourke Construction Limited, the joint venture partners in BYLOR JV.

The prohibition notices were issued under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and secondary legislation including the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.

An ONR spokesman said: “The notices were served as a result of inspections on the site on November 18 following a fatality on November 13.” They were unable to provide more details because of the ongoing investigation.

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