Security and quality of supply

The planning and implementation of Energie AG's projects focuses on assuring the reliable and uninterrupted supply with all services, especially in times of crisis and despite the potential ramifications of new statutory framework conditions, which are currently difficult to assess.

The expansion and strengthening of the grid infrastructure combined with increasing energy storage capacities (e.g. pumped-storage power plants) is intended to quickly and fully buffer peak loads and compensate for the volatile infeed volumes from decentralised generation systems that produce energy from renewable sources.

In the area of digitalisation, the fibre-optic networks is being expanded further as a prerequisite for a full-coverage supply of all regions in Upper Austria with internet access at the speed of light.

Aiming at contributing to a high-quality, secure drinking water supply and waste water treatment, Energie AG is intensifying partnerships with the objective of warranting the supply of drinking water in regions that are, in particular in the Czech Republic, affected by water shortage and is contributing technical know-how for the establishment of a sophisticated waste water treatment infrastructure (e.g. leak localisation).

The Waste Management Segment of Energie AG covers the entire value creation chain from waste collection to sorting and recycling on the highest technical level and intends to increase its attractiveness as a partner for private persons, businesses and industry, and municipalities with offers that are evermore closely aligned with the customer's requirements in terms of a higher flexibility of and simplified access to waste management services.

The unconditional assurance of security of supply, including under extraordinary conditions (COVID-19 pandemic), and the ensuing strengthening of the Company's resilience are among the top priorities of Energie AG Group. A task force that monitors the ongoing pandemic developments and devises the necessary measures was already formed in the 2019/2020 fiscal year. Special precautions to warrant the operation of critical infrastructure were taken, also see Social engagement during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Security of supply is the fundamental basis for general business growth, job creation and quality of life. Energie AG’s services are a major driver of Upper Austria’s international competitiveness as a business location.

Netz OÖ’s 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 security of supply 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 the security and quality of supply, key performance indicators such as grid reliability, grid interruptions and their causes (interruption time >3 minutes)are determined 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 GmbH operates an electricity grid consisting of 33,185 km of power lines (previous year: 32,873 km), in addition to a 5,624 km gas grid (previous year: 5,603 km). These reliable and modern grids warrant the secure energy supply for more than 575,000 customers (previous year: 560,000).

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 50.82 min/a in calendar year 2020 (2019: 31.62 min/a). Customer-related system disruption (SAIDI – System Average Interruption Duration Index) stood at 53.58 min/a (2019: 34.47 min/a). The increase over the previous year is attributable to several storms in February 2020. The non-availability rate is expected to remain constant in calendar year 2021 as a result of a noticeably higher number of thunderstorms in the summer months of July and August. The availability of the gas grid in calendar year 2020 was unchanged from the previous years at 99.99%. This is a normal value for the availability of gas grids that only changes marginally over the years.

In the generation unit, the Group takes a holistic approach to optimise technical availability, starting with the planning and designing phase of power plants as well as by systematically developing maintenance strategies as part of due diligence measures. State-of-the-art, IT-supported operational management systems are used for monitoring and implementation.

In addition to the environmental measures adopted during 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.

The supply reliability for customer connections in the fibre-optic network is determined by analysing the fault resolution times from the trouble ticket system. In the reporting period, it amounted to 99.99% (previous year: 99.99%). The fault resolution time designates the timespan between receipt of the fault report and the resolution of the fault. At the end of the reporting period, the Group's own fibre-optic network comprised around 7,021 km (previous year: 6,600 km).

Water supply availability in the Czech Republic Segment is constantly at or above 99.9%. 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 regions affected by climate change-related drought and increasing water scarcity, Energie AG secures the supply through subsidiaries that supply drinking water via tankers and cisterns. One measure to improve security of supply 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. Energie AG's subsidiaries also support their contractual partners in projects aimed at securing resources with extensive know-how in the area of water management.

The operational processes at the sites of Umwelt Service GmbH, especially in Wels, were frequently adjusted in 2020/2021 fiscal year in order to warrant the safe and reliable collection and management of all types of waste during the COVID-19 pandemic.