He has developed an organization in place

Like the Knights protecting their fortress besieged, the hydraulic division of EDF employees are equipped with helmets and Spears. "Give you the grant, never!" they shout at men who, at the bottom of the dam, spy with envy. This drawing on an internal presentation of the company amounts to him only how EDF discusses the imminent renewal of hydroelectric concessions.

For the first time since an act of 1919, the State is poised to launch a competition procedure in due form to adapt to a new regulatory deal. In total, there are implement competition 49 works representing 5.300 megawatts (MW) of capacity, or 12 of French hydraulic production or the equivalent of 5 nuclear power plants. The State wanted to give the kick-off end of 2010. It will take place early 2011 with the Valley of Ossau, in the Pyrenees, and the dead Lake, in Isère. "We are on the starting line," quips an alternative provider. It is little said. With the Finnish Fortum, a good dozen candidates are on the ranks: GDF Suez, which already operates 17 of the dams of the Hexagon, but also the Scandinavian Vattenfall and Statkraft, German E.ON, the Austrian Verbund, Italian Enel, Alpiq Switzerland, French Direct Energy, or even industrial ArcelorMittal, Rio Tinto and the SNCF... "Russian Rus Hydro and Chinese Sinohydro look also the record", a competitor of EDF understands. Question if local elected officials will be open to all of these names is. Historically, they have essentially case to EDF. So that the lobby of foreigners full swing in the valleys. Because if the State remains the owner of the works, the operation is a little to privatize the dams. A small revolution in the electricity market...

Issues still outstanding

Determined to protect its monopoly, EDF is participating in the competition. "We will beat us on all concessions," Announces Jean-François Astolfi, Director of the division producing hydraulic engineering of EDF. He has developed an organization in place. Its mission: "win concessions". "It it becomes accustomed to the idea that it will no longer have concessions to life." Sooner or later, valleys will be all put into competition, he says. To preserve our tool, we must be competitive.

But all the issues are not resolved. Example, compensation for anticipation of end of concession. The Government wished to consolidate several concessions in valleys, but some expire in 2012, others later. This is the case of the Saint Pierre-Marèges dam, operated in the Dordogne region by the hydroelectric society of Midi (SHEM), a subsidiary of GDF Suez. Theoretically, the method of calculation is described in the texts, but its application is the subject of various interpretations.

Other issues remain, such as the definition of "good working condition" of the work, the donated assets or transfer of staff. "This is a point at which we are very sensitive," said Jean-François Astolfi. It find it difficult to identify personnel assigned to a concession. "Some dams have no operating personnel, but are based on regional maintenance teams."

Competitors repeat vigilance. For them, with the reform of the electricity which comes to be voted and must give them access to the EDF nuclear, hydraulic concessions are a unique opportunity to ac - surrender to the French market.