Jean-Bernard Lévy, 59, is a graduate of École Polytechnique (class of 1973) and Telecom Paris Tech. He began his career at France Télécom in 1979 as an engineer in Angers. In 1982, he became responsible for the management of senior executives and staff budgets at headquarters, and was subsequently promoted to Deputy Head of Human Resources. Starting in 1986, he served as an advisor to Gérard Longuet, the French Minister for Postal Services & Telecommunications.
From 1988 to 1993, Jean-Bernard Lévy led the Telecommunications Satellites division of Matra Espace, which became Matra Marconi Space. In 1993 and 1994, he served as Chief of Staff to Gérard Longuet, the French Minister for Industry, Postal Services & Telecommunications, and Foreign Trade. In 1995, he was appointed Chairman and CEO of Matra Communication. In 1998, he became CEO, then managing partner at Oddo & Cie.
In the summer of 2002, Jean-Bernard Lévy joined Vivendi, where he was CEO until April 2005. Starting in April 2005, he was Chairman of its Management Board, a position he held until June 2012. From December 2012 until November 2014, he served as Chairman and CEO of Thales Group, which is specialised in the aerospace and defence industries Jean-Bernard Lévy is Chairman and CEO of EDF Group since 26 November 2014.
Jean-Bernard Lévy is married with four children and is a Knight of the French Legion of Honour.
After decades with no major changes, the world of electricity generation is facing a new technological revolution, marked in particular by the arrival en masse of new information and communication technologies (ICTs) – more commonly known as digitalisation.
This revolution is opening up new areas of operation for utilities companies, including EDF, and bringing power generation companies into the “Big Data” era. The new areas include:
Central to these major changes are “smart grids”. A new alliance is being forged between electrical systems and digital technologies, with a veritable digitisation of electric power grid control and operation methods.
These smart grids are going to transform the energy landscape. New players, component manufacturers and ICT firms like Google, etc. will compete alongside traditional utilities companies.
Smart grids are also the cornerstone of another of this century’s revolutions – the emergence of renewable energies, whether are they centralised or decentralised at customer sites. These onshore and, to a greater extent, offshore systems present numerous technological challenges that have yet to be resolved. Storing these types of energies, which are intermittent by nature, is also a particularly major R&D challenge.
We believe in the future of nuclear energy, now more than ever given that the fight against global warming is this century’s major challenge.
EDF has 58 nuclear reactors in France, and soon 59 with the new Evolutionary Power Reactor (EPR) technology coming into service in 2018. We produce 75% of our electricity via nuclear, and are the world leader in this sector. Together, with hydroelectricity and other renewable sources of energy, led by our subsidiary EDF Energies Nouvelles, EDF is clearly at the forefront of carbon-free energy.
The group is undertaking one of its largest maintenance programme – also known as grand carénage – this year at our 19 production sites. The approximately €50 billion programme will take 10 years, and seeks to maintain our technical progress in power plant operation, performance, and availability, as well as safely lengthen service life.
We are also involved in producing new models of reactors. Besides the EPR, which we are building in France, EDF has joined forces with our Chinese partners to construct one in China. We will also soon announce, in partnership with China, the construction of an EPR in Great Britain.
As for R&D, we are currently working with our long-standing French partners on a new version of the EPR. We are also planning the design of a small reactor model (300 MV), which has been pre-selected by the British authorities.
EDF is not alone in holding this resolutely optimistic view of the future of the nuclear industry. However, the strong performance of nuclear is being diluted by announcements of civil nuclear facilities being withdrawn in some countries.
The impact will be significant. Digitisation, digitalisation and “Big Data” will affect processes and activities throughout the production chain, from design, monitoring and maintenance of production facilities to new customer services. Grids will also have to be flexible enough to deal with the coexistence of centralised electricity systems, as well as ultra-decentralised renewable energy systems.
Renewable energies, both onshore and offshore, will also be central to technological revolutions and our R&D efforts. Some are already mature and cost-competitive under certain conditions, such as onshore wind or photovoltaic energy; while others are still a long way off, such as offshore wind energy or tidal turbines. Regardless, we are very strongly committed to all these forms of renewable energy.
Research into the storage of these intermittent energies is a major challenge, and we are conducting very promising experiments in the US and overseas. We are also working with automotive manufacturers on new generations of batteries for electric vehicles.
Worldwide, EDF’s ambition is to be an efficient and responsible electricity company championing low-carbon growth. Asia, with its unparalleled growth and vibrant energy sector, is a land of opportunities for EDF.
We plan to build on our longstanding experience in the region. Most notably, our experience includes nuclear energy in China, renewable energy in India, gas-fired projects in Vietnam, and hydropower in Lao PDR. EDF has the ambition to be active at every stage of the electricity value chain, and to support the energy transition for its customers. In fast-changing Asia, cities such as Singapore are also offering promising opportunities for EDF to provide tailored and innovative energy solutions.
This theme is entirely in keeping with the major challenges that I have mentioned, and what better place than Singapore, which is at the vanguard when it comes to sustainable cities, to address these new energy realities that lie at the heart of tomorrow’s cities?