Supply reliability and quality

Energie AG is committed to a safe and sustainable energy supply for present and future generations. Security of supply is the fundamental basis for general business growth, job creation and maintaining quality of life. Energie AG’s electricity, gas, heating, telecommunications and water supply services are a major driver of Upper Austria’s international competitiveness as a business location. Our Waste Management segment offers reliable waste management services in its market areas, covering every link in the value chain at the highest technical level.

Netz O֒s asset management efforts are aimed at achieving the highest possible levels of efficiency in all activities in terms of reliability, quality and cost-effectiveness. The company’s measures to promote supply reliability and quality are primarily focused on the medium and low-voltage grids. Energie AG consistently improves grid quality via targeted replacement of existing overhead lines with cable and by increasing the degree of grid automation in the medium-voltage portion.

To assess supply reliability and quality, we determine key performance indicators such as grid reliability, grid interruptions and their causes (<3 minutes) on an annual basis. The Group then uses these findings to establish options for future action in the context of grid maintenance and expansion.

Netz OÖ operates an electricity grid consisting of 32,648 km of power lines (previous year: 32,365 km), in addition to a 5,585 km natural gas grid (previous year: 5,549 km). These reliable and modern grids ensure the energy supply of end consumers and power plants.

The electricity grid’s supply reliability, measured in terms of service-related availability (ASIDI; Average System Interruption Duration Index) and not taking regionally exceptional events into account, was 38.02 min/a in calendar year 2018 (2017: 32.91 min/a). Customer-related system disruption (SAIDI – System Average Interruption Duration Index) stood at 37.26 min/a (2017: 36.28 min/a). The availability of the natural gas grid was 100% in calendar year 2018, as was the case in the previous year.

In the 2018/2019 fiscal year, Netz OÖ and Salzburg Netz GmbH agreed to a close security cooperation agreement in the supply areas around Lake Wolfgang to ensure that natural gas customers can receive assistance as quickly as possible in the event of damage.

In the generation unit, the Group is taking a holistic approach to optimise technical availability, starting with taking power plants and components into account during planning and design as well as by systematically developing maintenance strategies and action plans for each facility and component. State-of-the-art, IT-supported operational management systems are used for monitoring and implementation.

In addition to the environmental measures adopted during hydropower plant design, flood protection improvements also play a crucial role in Energie AG’s run-of-river power plant construction projects. The individual steps to be taken during day-to-day operation are set out in the officially approved workplace regulations.

In light of advancements in digital innovation and the positive business climate in Upper Austria, the speed-of-light broadband network underwent further expansion in the 2018/2019 fiscal year. For around 15 years, Energie AG has been working on building a comprehensive fibre-optic network, predominantly in Netz O֒s service area. The fibre-optic network was 6,100 km long as of the end of the 2018/2019 fiscal year (previous year: 5,550 km).

Water supply availability in the Czech Republic segment is constantly at or above 99.99%. Network quality in the drinking water sector fluctuates from year to year between 0.2 and 0.3 cases of damage per kilometre per year, mainly due to changing winter and frost conditions. Network quality in the waste water sector is measured at around 0.1 grid interruptions per kilometre per year.

In the water sector in the Czech Republic, investments in physical infrastructure are made on an ongoing basis to ensure supply reliability and maintain operability (motor vehicles, machinery, tools). These decisions are made based on ongoing analyses of non-current assets with regard to their useful life, condition, costs and necessity. In particular, the use of new technologies (sewer inspection cameras, satellite leak detection, smart water meters) guarantees that Energie AG can maintain an efficiency advantage and a competitive edge over our competitors, which ultimately benefits our customers (municipalities).

Due to climate change, increasingly long periods of drought are occurring during the summer months. This can lead to temporary water shortages in certain regions. The places affected are mostly local authority areas with their own wells but lacking a second major supply source. Even in these cases, Energie AG endeavours to temporarily ensure a sufficient supply of drinking water; for instance, by supplying drinking water via tankers and cisterns. One measure to improve supply reliability is the interregional integration of water supply systems. This enables drinking water from areas with surplus water to be sent to areas suffering from shortages.

The cross-border water aid scheme between the Czech Republic and Austria was also revived and used for the first time in 2019. The water networks of the South Bohemian border town of České Velenice and Gmünd in Lower Austria are now connected for emergency water supply. This cooperation scheme was previously in place until 1960, but was discontinued due to the political situation and only recently resumed.