EDF Energy has reported that UK reactors (14 AGRs plus Sizewell B PWR) had the highest nuclear output in eight years: 60.5 TWh in 2013, up 0.5 TWh over 2012. It credited this performance to 'planned maintenance and EDF Energy's nuclear investment programme over the past five years'.
The statement EDF that performance was not as dramatically good in France: 403.7 TWh for 57 units, down 1.2 TWh from last year, which was a leap year.
It said: "On the whole, compared with 2012, the Group once again improved the control of unplanned thanks to the large component replacement programme. However, despite a slight improvement, planned outage extensions were still longer than expected in the second half of the year.
"Furthermore, despite good availability of the nuclear fleet in the month of December, temperatures remained unseasonably warm over nearly the entire month, which, combined with high wind output, resulted in less demand for the fleet."
In 2014, EDF intends to ramp up the action plan started in 2013, which aims to better control outage durations. Consequently, it says, "with the same volume of planned outages as in 2013, the Group is targeting nuclear output of between 410 and 415 TWh in 2014"
Overall, EDF reported profit (EBITDA) of EUR 16.8 billion on sales of EUR 75.6 billion. It said that investment in France was up 10%, mainly due to nuclear maintenance.
Photo: The UK's only PWR, Sizewell B (Credit: EDF Energy)
