French state-controlled nuclear group EDF will expand into Australia to develop renewable energy assets in a bid to capitalise on Canberra’s ambitious transition plan.
James Katsikas, a former executive at energy utility Jemena, who has been appointed country manager in Australia for EDF International, announced via LinkedIn that the new team would be a mix of local and international staff headquartered in Melbourne.that new hires were expected to include the recently departed EnergyAustralia energy team.
Renewable energy droughts happen when adverse weather conditions such as cloudy and windless days limit electricity generation from rooftop solar and wind farms. Traditional generation such as coal would be used to fill the void, but with more and more generators retiring, the cost of using fossil fuel was rising.
Industry sources said such volatility had lured EDF and others into the market, and explained why the French energy giant had moved to hire the EnergyAustralia trading team.