Latest News

France's EDF returns to profit in 2023, books charge for UK ops

French stateowned power giant EDF stated on Friday it went back to benefit and cut its debt by about 10 billion euros ($ 10.76 billion) in 2023, buoyed by traditionally high electrical power prices and the return of some of its nuclear fleet.

The results mark a significant turnaround for the debt-laden business, which was nationalised last June, even as it has a hard time with spiralling expenses and long delays to its UK nuclear power jobs and falling power rates at home.

Still, the group scheduled a 7.9 billion euro impairment charge after tax associated to its UK operations, including the long-delayed Hinkley Point reactor, Britain's very first new nuclear plant in more than two decades.

France desires the British government to contribute more money to the two brand-new nuclear plants.

Management likewise alerted that operating profit this year would fall which it is struggling to find buyers for its long-term electrical energy agreements due to weaker power costs.

We remain in conversations with the British government and other financiers to organize financing for the Sizewell C project, EDF CEO Luc Remont stated on a media call, describing another brand-new plant in southeast England.

EDF recorded a 2023 net profit of 10 billion euros, compared to a loss of 17.9 billion in 2022, and EBITDA of 39.9 billion euros, up from a loss of 4.9 billion. Net financial obligation at the end of 2023 was 54.4 billion euros.

French electrical power costs skyrocketed in 2022 after Russia's invasion of Ukraine and EDF took a number of reactors offline to perform checks and repair work after signs of stress corrosion were found at some.

The last reactor at danger of corrosion is expected to be fixed throughout its as soon as every ten years' upkeep starting this month, it stated.

Costs have actually because been on the decline, and forward costs are close to EDF's functional costs.

Its French nuclear production increased by some 41.4 terawatt hours (TWh) in 2023 to 320.4 TWh as France faced traditionally high electrical energy market value.

The group, which runs Europe's biggest nuclear fleet, said it anticipates nuclear output to increase once again in 2024.

(source: Reuters)