Environment

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.

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.