EDF decides to freeze hiring due to financial difficulties

EDF is suspending recruitment for 2023 due to its difficult financial situation after record losses in 2022. A new Associate Director of Human Resources, Caroline Chavanas, has been appointed in anticipation of replacing the current Director, Christophe Carval.

Share:

Comprehensive energy news coverage, updated nonstop

Annual subscription

8.25$/month*

*billed annually at 99$/year for the first year then 149,00$/year ​

Unlimited access • Archives included • Professional invoice

OTHER ACCESS OPTIONS

Monthly subscription

Unlimited access • Archives included

5.2$/month*
then 14.90$ per month thereafter

FREE ACCOUNT

3 articles offered per month

FREE

*Prices are excluding VAT, which may vary depending on your location or professional status

Since 2021: 35,000 articles • 150+ analyses per week

The energy company EDF has decided on a “moratorium” on hiring for 2023 because of “its difficult financial situation” after record losses in 2022, a company spokesman told AFP on Thursday.

EDF has decided to suspend its recruitments for the time being to “take stock of its staffing needs”, in order to better target its priorities, at a time when the company is going through “a difficult situation”, explained this spokesperson, confirming information from the newspaper Les Echos. “So there is a moratorium on hiring for 2023,” although “the idea is not to suspend” hiring “all year,” the same source said.

The announcement was made recently internally in a work email from the Human Resources Director to his teams. The number of planned hirings has not been made public by EDF, which has also announced the arrival on Monday of a new Director of Human Resources, Caroline Chavanas, in anticipation of the replacement of the current director, Christophe Carval, on retirement in the coming months.

Ms. Chavanas is a defector from the military manufacturer Naval Group, after a career that saw her start in China and work in IT companies and then at Thales. This suspension of recruitment comes at a crucial time for EDF. The company, which is in the process of being completely nationalized, is facing many industrial and financial challenges, which would involve hiring rather than the opposite. EDF must both recover the production of the existing nuclear fleet and prepare the construction of at least six reactors, two major priorities stated by the government.

Contacted by AFP, the Ministry of Economy and Finance did not wish to react. The electric company ended the year 2022 with a record loss of 17.9 billion euros, attributing part of its woes to the Arenh mechanism (regulated access to historical nuclear electricity).

This mechanism, which EDF is asking to be abandoned, against the advice of the government, obliges it to resell its electricity to its competitor suppliers, leading to “an underpayment of the company”, according to its CEO Luc Rémont. “Freezing hiring in light of the industrial challenges facing EDF makes no sense,” said Amélie Henri, EDF’s national CFE-Energie secretary.

In terms of human resources, EDF is also experiencing turbulence linked to the pension reform, against which many employees have been mobilizing since January. The reform, if enacted, will modify the contract of new hires from September onwards, by abolishing the special pension scheme for the electricity and gas industries.

EDF confirms it is exploring capital openings and calls for strict investment prioritisation, facing €54.3bn ($57.5bn) in debt and massive funding needs by 2040.
A consortium led by Masdar and CPP Investments proposes to acquire all of ReNew at $8.15 per share, representing a 15.3% increase over the initial offer.
In Kuala Lumpur, Huawei Digital Power unveiled its grid-forming technologies, positioned as a strategic lever to strengthen power interconnections and accelerate energy market development across ASEAN.
Voltalia has entered a strategic partnership with IFC to develop tailored renewable energy projects for the mining sector across several African countries.
Ghana will receive increased backing from the World Bank to stabilise its electricity grid, as the country faces more than $3.1bn in energy debt.
Repsol has launched a pilot platform of AI multi-agents, developed with Accenture, to transform internal organisation and improve team productivity.
ABB recorded double-digit growth in sales of equipment for data centres, contributing to a 28% increase in net profit in the third quarter, surpassing market expectations.
UK power producer Infinis has secured a £391mn ($476mn) banking agreement to support the next phase of its solar and energy storage development projects.
The Nexans Board of Directors has officially appointed Julien Hueber as Chief Executive Officer, ending Christopher Guérin’s seven-year tenure at the helm of the industrial group.
JP Morgan Chase has launched a $1.5 trillion, ten-year investment initiative targeting critical minerals, defence technologies and strategic supply chains across the United States.
Amid rising global demand for low-carbon technologies, several African countries are launching a regional industrial strategy centred on domestic processing of critical minerals.
Maersk and CATL have signed a strategic memorandum of understanding to strengthen global logistics cooperation and develop large-scale electrification solutions across the supply chain.
ABB made several attempts to acquire Legrand, but the French government opposed the deal, citing strategic concerns linked to data centres.
Aramco becomes Petro Rabigh's majority shareholder after purchasing a 22.5% stake from Sumitomo, consolidating its downstream strategy and supporting the industrial transformation of the Saudi petrochemical complex.
Chevron India expands its capabilities with a 312,000 sq. ft. engineering centre in Bengaluru, designed to support its global operations through artificial intelligence and local technical expertise.
Amid rising energy costs and a surge in cheap imports, Ineos announces a 20% workforce reduction at its Hull acetyls site and urges urgent action against foreign competition.
Driven by growing demand for strategic metals, mining mergers and acquisitions in Africa are accelerating, consolidating local players while exposing them to a more complex legal and regulatory environment.
Ares Management has acquired a 49% stake in ten energy assets held by EDP Renováveis in the United States, with an enterprise value estimated at $2.9bn.
Ameresco secured a $197mn contract with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory to upgrade its energy systems across two strategic sites, with projected savings of $362mn over 21 years.
Enerflex Ltd. announced it will release its financial results for Q3 2025 before markets open on November 6, alongside a conference call for investors and analysts.

All the latest energy news, all the time

Annual subscription

8.25$/month*

*billed annually at 99$/year for the first year then 149,00$/year ​

Unlimited access - Archives included - Pro invoice

Monthly subscription

Unlimited access • Archives included

5.2$/month*
then 14.90$ per month thereafter

*Prices shown are exclusive of VAT, which may vary according to your location or professional status.

Since 2021: 30,000 articles - +150 analyses/week.