Energie AG’s environmental goals are:

  • To support the goals and projects that reflect the Austrian climate and energy strategy, while taking economic sustainability into account
  • To further expand facilities for renewable energy generation
  • To increase energy efficiency and resource conservation
  • To expand new green alternatives for space heating
  • A forward-thinking maintenance strategy
  • Ensuring that waste is disposed of and recycled in an environmentally friendly and legally compliant manner
  • Providing advice to customers and improving awareness of sensible and efficient use of water and energy

Energie AG expresses its commitment to responsible and sustainable use of the environment in all areas of activity, taking future generations into consideration. The key sustainability issues in the environmental realm are climate protection, energy efficiency and resource conservation. These issues are organised into the Energy, Grid, Waste Management, Czech Republic, and Holding & Services segments in this section.

Most Energie AG Group projects are intended to improve energy efficiency (both within the Group and for the customer) while sustainably supporting energy and climate goals, as well as the guidelines of the Austrian Federal Energy Efficiency Act 2014.

Compliance with legal requirements related to the environment is a key foundational principle for success in the market. Regular internal and external reviews help to ensure the necessary compliance. At present, there are no deviations from these provisions.

For all the review results, see the latest environmental statements from Energie AG Oberösterreich Umwelt Service GmbH (Umwelt Service GmbH) and Energie AG Oberösterreich Erzeugung GmbH (Erzeugung GmbH).

The Energie AG Group’s business activity requires a reasonable amount of greenhouse gas emissions. Thermal plants are indispensable for electricity production as a means of ensuring a secure supply and stable grids. Energie AG works to counter greenhouse gas emissions by making substantial positive impacts on the environment through efficient low-CO2 energy and heat generation, and by harnessing the benefits of primary fuel and primary raw material substitution. In addition, our Waste Management segment’s refrigerator recycling service makes a significant contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Higher CO2 emissions (Scope 1) were recorded in the 2018/2019 fiscal year due to an increase in grid reserve and congestion management measures at the thermal power plants to ensure stability and supply reliability in grid operation (in particular, at the Timelkam CCGT power plant). 1,500 kt of CO2 emissions (Scope 1) were released (previous year: 1,306 kt), of which 1,191 kt were from fossil fuel sources (previous year: 1,017 kt) and 308 kt were from biogenic energy sources (previous year: 289 kt). The Energie AG Group can account for 71 kt of indirect CO2 emissions (Scope 2; previous year: 74 kt).

The CO2 emissions from electricity production totalled 54.33 g/kWh in the 2017/2018 fiscal year (previous year, 2016/2017: 58.3 g/kWh). 1)CO2 emissions figures from electricity production in the 2018/2019 fiscal year were not yet available at the time this report was written.

The Energie AG Group’s emissions predominantly come from the operation of thermal power plants, district heating plants, waste incineration plants and co-generation plants, as well as from pumping energy, distribution losses, process heat, building heating and vehicles.

CO2 emissions in tonnes per year 2)These figures take into account the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol Corporate Standards and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) 305 Standards.

Direct CO2 emissions, fossil (Scope 1)

Business Unit

 

2018/2019

 

2017/2018

Erzeugung GmbH

 

639,406

 

450,669

Waste Management segment

 

485,526

 

499,195

Czech Republic segment

 

35,254

 

35,791

Vertrieb GmbH

 

26,444

 

25,579

Netz OÖ

 

3,325

 

3,865 1)

Business Services GmbH

 

1,986

 

2,045 2)

Total

 

1,191,942

 

1,017,143

1)

The energy density (kg/m3) was taken into account for the conversion of natural gas consumption 2017/2018. The value was adjusted.

2)

During the collection of the fossil Scope 1 values for fiscal year 2017/2018, fuel consumption from private usage was mistakenly included in the area Business Services GmbH. This has now been adjusted.

Direct CO2 emissions, biogenic (Scope 1) 1)

Business Unit

 

2018/2019

 

2017/2018

Erzeugung GmbH

 

145,859

 

145,313

Waste Management segment

 

155,096

 

136,576

Czech Republic segment

 

7,348

 

7,225

Vertrieb GmbH

 

93

 

60

Netz OÖ

 

0

 

0

Business Services GmbH

 

0

 

0

Total

 

308,396

 

289,174

1)

The emissions factors for biomass and biogas were updated according to the values published by the Environment Agency Austria and the German Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (Bundesamt für Wirtschaft und Ausfuhrkontrolle).

Indirect CO2 emissions (Scope 2)

Business Unit

 

2018/2019

 

2017/2018

Erzeugung GmbH

 

4,587

 

5,581

Waste Management segment

 

14,766

 

15,106

Czech Republic segment

 

11,880

 

12,045 1)

Vertrieb GmbH

 

4,402

 

4,486

Netz OÖ

 

35,465

 

36,565

Business Services GmbH

 

0

 

0

Total

 

71,100

 

73,783

 

 

 

 

 

Total Scope 1 + 2 (in tCO2eq) 2)

 

1,571,438

 

1,380,099

1)

The error in the calculation for the fiscal year 2017/2018 has been corrected.

2)

The values for the fiscal year 2018/2019 come from direct measurements, from environmental statements, or were calculated using conversion factors (for direct CO2 emission factors see the Environment Agency Austria (Umweltbundesamt); the electricity mix used is the Energie AG OÖ Residualmix). Conversion factors are used for the use/consumption of natural gas, petrol, diesel, liquefied petroleum gas, heating oil, coal, methane, biomass, and biogas, for example. The emission values from recycling (Waste Management segment) are based on continuous measurements. Methane is included in the direct fossil emissions. The data of Umwelt Service GmbH (Waste Management segment) has been collected for the calendar year 2018. For availability reasons, the data for the Czech Republic segment is from the fiscal year 2017/2018. The following entities have not been included due to their small scale compared to the overall balance (<1 %): Trading GmbH, Telekom GmbH, the service areas (except Business Services GmbH) and Ennskraftwerke AG. The CCGT power plant Timelkam is owned by Energie AG (50%) and by Groupe E (CH; 50%). The CO2 emissions are included at 100% nonetheless.

Scope 1 encompasses direct emissions from the incineration processes of stationary facilities, direct emissions from the incineration processes of mobile facilities, direct emissions of volatile gases and direct emissions from processes.

Direct greenhouse gas emissions are released when primary energy sources are converted in our facilities, vehicles and building heating (without electricity). This includes all fuels such as natural gas, heating oil, coal, diesel, petrol, liquefied petroleum gas and biogenic fuels. Energie AG creates electricity and district heating from these sources, allowing it to operate its own fleet of road vehicles.

Scope 2 encompasses indirect emissions from electricity purchases, indirect emissions from district heating/cooling and indirect emissions from steam purchases. The Energie AG residual mix is used to measure CO2 emissions from purchased electricity for all Energie AG Group units (170.26 g CO2/kWh).

Indirect greenhouse gas emissions are released by the use of electricity from the grid and heating from non-Energie AG systems. This includes the operation of systems that generate no electricity in-house (such as power supply to Energie AG buildings, grid purchases during system shutdowns/overhauls, pumped-storage electricity, systems in the water network and systems in the gas grid (without own gas needed).

The energy audit, in line with § 9 of the Austrian Federal Energy Efficiency Act 2015 (Bundes-Energieeffizienzgesetz; EEffG), is conducted once every four years and covers all the Energie AG Group’s Austrian locations. As per EEffG Annex III, the energy audit examined a key energy consumption area in the relevant sites’ ”processes“, which were analysed in detail and subsequently audited. These processes encompass operational processes and industrial facilities (e.g. electric drives and systems, hot water systems used in industrial activities). Processes accounted for 95.1% of the Energie AG Group’s total energy consumption in the 2017/2018 fiscal year (2014/2015 fiscal year: 92.0%), while transport accounted for 4.2% (2014/2015 fiscal year: 4.0%) and buildings accounted for 0.7% (2014/2015 fiscal year: 4.0%).

1) CO2 emissions figures from electricity production in the 2018/2019 fiscal year were not yet available at the time this report was written.

2) These figures take into account the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol Corporate Standards and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) 305 Standards.