– / AFP
Design plan for the 500 meter high parallel structures known as “The Line” in the heart of the Red Sea megacity NEOM.
ENVIRONMENT – For EDF it is an “environmentally friendly” project, for some of its employees it is “ecocide”. An in-depth investigation by Radio France's investigative unit reveals this Friday, March 1, the anger of some EDF employees after the company announced that it would build a hydroelectric power station in the heart of the future futuristic megalopolis “Neom” in the city in the heart of the Saudi desert.
This project, estimated at several hundred billion dollars and led by Prince Mohammed ben Salman, must be implemented in 2030. It covers more than 25,000 km2 and includes, among other things, a ski area where the Asian Winter Games will take place in 2029, a luxury island on the Red Sea, or The Line, a 500 m high “construction city”, as you can see in our video below.
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These contradictions include the fact that this giant city is committed to being fully pedestrian-friendly, “carbon-free” and respecting 95% of the nature around it, while also being home to one of the largest airports in the world.
The paradox of a hydroelectric power plant in the desert
The largest French electricity and gas supplier is relying on these “green” promises to justify its investment in Neom. “The line will only be powered by renewable energies, wind and solar,” an EDF member told our colleagues at Radio France.
Specifically, EDF will build a STEP (Pumped Energy Transfer Station), a type of hydroelectric power plant that enables the generation and storage of electricity and thus protects against power outages. Another advantage of this technology: It emits very few greenhouse gases and therefore fits perfectly with the Saudis' desire to build the “zero emissions” city of the future.
However, hydraulic production is certainly not very harmful to the environment, but it does require water. However, this resource is lacking in the desert. EDF's offer to Neom Company, signed in early 2024 and seen by Franceinfo, states that “the water will be taken from the large desalinated water supply pipeline located nearby” and that a desalination plant will be built “nearby of the Red Sea”. A very expensive and energy-intensive installation.
“It’s not our EDF”
“We are collecting water for a project that does not benefit the general public,” denounces a trade unionist. “Neom bothers us because it is a pharaonic project (…) for luxury tourism in the middle of the desert.” And that is not sustainable at all,” denies Jean-Yves Ségura, human resources representative and Force Ouvrière (FO) delegate at EDF Hydro , told France Info.
The FO union also launched a survey of 860 EDF Hydro employees last November. Result: “73% of them want EDF to leave the project.” 17% are of the opinion that EDF must continue,” reports Jean-Yves Ségura.
“It’s not our EDF. “It is paradoxical to ask for sobriety in France and to embark on such a crazy project abroad,” also complains an engineer from EDF Hydro, who assures that to prevent the construction of the STEP “all the remedies available internally have been activated, without that this was the case.” Success.”
Worse, employees assure that the company is forcing them not to rebel too much. “Management is firmly committed to Neom. We are being told that if it becomes too difficult for us to work on this project, we will have to leave the company,” says one agent, adding: “Avoid raising the issue during your lunch break.” EDF, in turn, denies this and ensures that it “gave employees the choice not to contribute to the project if they wanted to.”
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