Climate protection & resource conservation

Energie AG is a steadfast supporter of the Austrian government's climate policy. In addition to utilising and expanding electricity generation from renewable sources, Energie AG Group's climate protection action is assisted by the principles of resource preservation and energy efficiency. The company takes measures aimed at increasing the energy efficiency of existing plants and systems and at the same time advises customers in the implementation of their own energy efficiency measures. It is implementing projects focused on decentralising the market that lay the foundation for the emergence and functionality of renewable energy communities and facilitate a sensible, practical future cooperation with these new market players.

Moreover projects aimed at reducing the internal consumption of resources, compensating for undesirable effects from the Group's own operations on the climate and natural environment, as well as further improving the environmental footprint of Energie AG are being implemented.

The measures aimed at raising awareness for the responsible treatment of energy resources among the population are complemented by (digital) information and advisory services as well as attractive financial assistance options.

Emissions

The Energie AG Group’s business activity requires a reasonable amount of greenhouse gas emissions. Thermal power plants are indispensable for electricity production as a means of ensuring a secure supply. Energie AG works to counter 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, a treatment plant for old refrigerators saves a considerable volume of hydrocarbons with a greenhouse effect.

Fiscal year 2022/2023 accounts for the generation of 1,260 kt of direct greenhouse gas emissions (GHG emissions) (Scope 1; previous year: 1,502 kt), of which 941 kt are attributable to fossil energy sources (previous year: 1,184 kt) and 319 kt to biogenic energy sources (previous year: 318 kt). Energie AG Group accounted for 29 kt of indirect market-based GHG emissions (Scope 2; previous year: 27 kt) and 100 kt site-based GHG emissions (previous year: 101 kt). GHG emissions are indicated in tonnes CO₂eq. An adjustment to the calculation method for biogenic emissions by Erzeugung GmbH led to data changes in previous years.

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.

Calculation of GHG emissions takes 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 and mobile facilities plus direct emissions from processes (CO₂ and CH₄).

Direct greenhouse gas emissions are released when primary energy sources are converted in the Company's facilities, vehicles and building heating. This includes all fuels such as natural gas, heating oil, 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 and district heating. For Group units located within Austria, the generation mix of Vertrieb GmbH is used to measure the market-based GHG emissions from electricity purchases. Electricity sales have been assigned the value of 0.00 g CO₂/kWh since fiscal year 2020/2021. The Czech Republic Segment is measured at the average annual generation mix for the Czech Republic as per the “European Environment Agency”.

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, the electricity supply to Energie AG buildings, grid purchases during system shutdowns/overhauls and pumped-storage electricity.

GHG emissions in tonnes per year

Preventing emissions through generation from renewable energy sources

The expansion of electricity generation from renewable energy, see Strategy, Additional electricity generation from renewables until 2035 and Environment, Energy Segment, will make a significant contribution to the reduction and avoidance of greenhouse gas emissions. 2,552 GWh of electricity from renewable sources were generated (previous year: 2,442 GWh) and 819,200 tonnes of CO₂eq were saved in the fiscal year 2022/2023 (previous year: 784,000 tonnes).

CO₂ emissions from electricity procurement by Vertrieb GmbH

The CO₂ emissions from electricity procurement by Vertrieb GmbH²⁾ have been reduced to 0.00 g/kWh since fiscal year 2019/2020 as a result of implementing the exclusive use of environmentally-friendly energy sources. This means that the customers of Vertrieb GmbH are supplied with CO₂-free electricity, see Environment, Sales.

Electric mobility

Energie AG emphasises its role as a paragon and pioneer in the area of resource preservation by enthusiastically endorsing electric mobility and alternative engine power. The share of Company-owned electric passenger vehicles (excluding the Czech Republic Segment) rose to 76 vehicles in the 2022/2023 fiscal year (previous year: 54) and now represents 38.2% (previous year: 26.9%). The aim of raising the proportion of electric cars in Austria to around 40% in 2024 came close to being achieved ahead of time in the 2022/2023 fiscal year. The Energie AG Group continues to strive to raise the proportion steadily. To achieve this objective, there will be a massive expansion of the internal charging infrastructure at existing and numerous new Energie AG locations in Austria. In fiscal year 2022/2023, Energie AG operated 169 charging points in Austria with 22 kW (previous year: 152), 1 direct-current rapid charger with 24 kW, as well as 2 rapid chargers with 2x75kW. The initial goal of expanding the charging infrastructure to 161 charging points at existing and numerous new sites by 2024 has already been overachieved.

Energie AG thereby supports the Austrian Government Programme 2020-2024, which provides strong impetus for public companies to switch their fleets to electric vehicles. The charging and operation of the vehicles with 100% renewable energy enables the Group to reduce CO₂ emissions and the dependence on fossil energy sources.

In the first half of 2023, Umwelt Service GmbH carried out intensive testing on the use of electric-drive trucks. The first three electric waste collection vehicles are due to come in operation before the end of the 2023 calendar year. By 2030, the majority of the 100-plus collection trucks should have been converted to electric drive.

Energie AG’s charging card is the key to Austria’s largest charging network, giving customers a convenient way to charge their electric cars. A total of 3,518 charge cards were issued to date (previous year: 2,480). More than 11,400 electric car charging stations across Austria are provided by cooperation partners and can be used with the Energie AG charging card (previous year: 9,100). In Upper Austria, Energie AG has established a dense charging network to provide public and fast charging facilities for electric cars. Existing plans for further expansion (in cooperation with municipalities and local partners) in different capacity categories are being intensified. The electricity supplied to all charging stations operated by Energie AG is to 100% sourced from hydroelectric power, wind and solar energy. Energie AG also offers charging solutions for densely populated residential buildings and company fleets. These solutions are geared to the charging requirements of the target groups.

In addition to charging solutions for private and business customers, the Energie AG Group is pursuing a targeted expansion of public charging stations – including operations management and service packages with local partners and municipalities – that is aimed at providing full-coverage supply to the general population. Energie AG currently operates 212 publicly accessible charging stations (previous year: 164) with various output ranges from 3.7 kW to 150 kW, including a billing system, and manages a total of 904 charging points (previous year: 604). As of the reporting date, rapid charging stations were in operation at 17 sites (previous year: 13). The goal is to install up to 50,000 charging stations for electric vehicles in private homes, at work, for vehicle fleets and in public areas by 2035.

Energy audit

The energy audit, in line with § 9 of the Austrian Federal Energy Efficiency Act 2015 (Bundes-Energieeffizienzgesetz), is conducted once every four years and covers all the Energie AG Group’s locations in Austria. The most recent energy audit was concluded in November 2019 and the next audit will take place in fiscal year 2023/2024. The energy audit analyses and audits key energy consumption areas for the relevant sites in detail. These processes encompass operational processes and industrial facilities, e.g. electric drives and systems, as well as hot water systems used in industrial activities.

Biodiversity

The preservation of valuable habitats, biodiversity and water body morphology are essential aspects of project development at Energie AG. A wide array of environmental considerations are addressed during the approval process, especially for power plant construction. Energie AG is also implementing measures to improve ecological conditions and reduce the environmental footprint.

Fish bypasses have been built at Energie AG’s run-of-river power plants and pumped-storage power plants in accordance with the Water Framework Directive.

Energie AG holds more than 20 fishing rights in Upper Austria and Salzburg and not only supports the natural reproduction of the fish stock, but also secures the naturally authentic population density by means of ecological breeding programmes and regular stocking with native fish species.

Resources

Energy consumption

Energie AG Group requires energy in various forms in order to operate its business activities. The administration buildings of Energie AG in Austria (excluding the Waste Management Segment) consume around 5.46 GWh for heating. The biggest source is district heat, which accounts for 38% (previous year: 42%). Other sources are gas 24% (previous year: 32%), electricity from heat pumps 19% (previous year: 13%), direct electricity 14% (previous year: 9%) and pellets 5% (previous year: 3%). The pure electricity demand is 5.34 GWh. Photovoltaic systems installed at Energie AG sites in Austria (excluding the Waste Management Segment) generated 0.2 GWh of electricity in fiscal year 2022/2023 (previous year: 0.2 GWh).

Energie AG exclusively uses 100% renewable electricity (excluding the Waste Management Segment) for the operation of its office, workshop and canteen buildings in Upper Austria. The sustainable consumption of resources has been a longstanding tradition in the management of Energie AG's real estate assets in Austria.

In fiscal year 2021/2022, the CO₂ footprint of the entire portfolio of real estate assets in Upper Austria (office, workshop and storage buildings) was analysed. Room for improvement was identified, e.g. replacing certain gas supply systems. For the Waste Management Segment, the CO₂ footprint is recalculated on a yearly basis at the same time the environmental statement is prepared.

The micro gas turbine at Haid has been replaced by district heat. In Gmunden, thermal building modernisation measures such as window, facade and roof renovations were carried out in the 2022/2023 fiscal year to bring about significant improvements to the overall energy efficiency of the building. Energy certificates were renewed at a large number of sites in order to evaluate overall energy efficiency and subsequently define optimisation proposals. Other revisions of the heating system aiming at an integrated energy concept as well as a wide range of measures to reduce the CO₂ output are being analysed and will be implemented over the coming fiscal years.

The input materials needed for the Group to operate its business activities are procured by Energie AG's centralised purchasing unit (with the exception of the Czech Republic Segment). This allows for an optimised allocation of resources and avoids the storage of reserves in selected areas.

For Energie AG, focusing on the future means doing business in harmony with the environment and in line with the principle of sustainability. The contractors of the Energie AG Group also act with a view to conserving the environment to the greatest possible extent, using available resources sparingly while promoting the deployment of environmentally sound technologies. Correct handling of waste and hazardous substances is of particular importance to contractors. They undertake to store, treat or dispose of such materials properly.

Purchasing for the Czech Republic Segment is regulated via guidelines and a purchasing manual that defines the criteria for selecting suppliers. Of particular importance here are quality, scope of supply and delivery times as well as QSE standards. Contracts that apply to all Group companies are tendered and managed via the Czech holding company or ČEVAK, a.s. Local company-specific procurement is performed independently by operating units or through a sister company that specialises in wholesale.

The office buildings in particular need an input of resources in the form of electricity, heating energy, paper and water. In fiscal year 2022/2023, the Energie AG Group in Austria (excluding the Waste Management Segment) consumed 31 tonnes of paper for printing and copying (previous year: 18 tonnes). The increase was due to the high flow of information to customers of Energie AG in connection with the crises of recent years. As part of a digitalisation drive, more and more processes are being digitalised in order to effect further paper savings. The Energie AG Group's sites in Austria mainly use paper that is FSC- (Forest Stewardship Council) and PEFC- (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) certified.

The process to reduce physical mail started in fiscal year 2017/2018 is continuing. After switching to the digital inbox for correspondence from government authorities and automatic forwarding to the respective organisational units with the help of robotics technology, the future focus will increasingly shift to reducing the number of outgoing paper-based mail items. Ongoing digitalisation and the storage space optimisation project initiated in the 2021/2022 fiscal year have made it easier to save and reuse office materials. In the course of this project, the reuse of old folders will continue. Used folders will almost completely meet demand in the years ahead in the interests of a circular economy.

Water management

The “Wasserschatz Österreichs” study (2021) on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Regions and Tourism (BMLRT) shows that Austria is not currently affected by water stress and will be able to meet its demand from groundwater in the long term. On the basis of the document “Second Voluntary National Review of the 2030 Agenda in the Czech Republic (2021)”, the United Nations conclude that water stress in the Czech Republic is average for Europe. Since it is aware that available ground water resources could decrease due to the impact of climate change, Energie AG will monitor potential water stress areas in Austria and the Czech Republic in the future.

In the thermal power plants, water is used as both an energy source (steam, warm water, cooling water) as well as process and cleaning materials. It is supplied from (company-owned) wells, running waters, and the public drinking water grid. The exhaust coolant water and waste water together with water from precipitation is pre-treated in accordance with the legal requirements. The hydropower plants use water for energy conversion.

Both the extraction of process water from the underground and running waters as well as the infeed of waste water have been issued official permits. The use of water for electricity generation is also subject to approvals under the pertinent water management laws that must be renewed at certain intervals. This includes an assessment by the public authorities on whether the systems represent state-of-the-art technology.

A rainwater utilisation system has already been installed in 2007 at Energie AG's historic location in Gmunden. The rainwater cisterns supply the toilet facilities of the office and canteen building, the office tower of the adjacent building, and the carwash.

In addition to using rainwater in Gmunden, Energie AG returns its household-similar waste water into the water cycle and carries out drinking water hygiene testing on an annual basis.

A comprehensive water management has also been implemented for all technical plants that use waste input. The Waste Management Segment has made the environmentally-friendly extraction and return infeed of water one of its top priorities. The use of oil separators together with the taking and analysis of samples from waste water before being fed into the receiving water are integral elements in Energie AG's operation of waste management plants.

In fiscal year 2021/2022, the Waste Management Segment began covering a closed landfill with a so-called water management layer; it is now completely covered. The layer consists of soil that has received a special treatment to reduce the infiltration of rain water into the landfill underneath.

Employees in Austria (excl. the Waste Management Segment) whose workplace (field service) situation entitles them to a daily serve of mineral water will in the future receive freshly carbonised drinking water directly from the well or local water outlet of their respective support base. All taps used in the field offices in Austria (excl. the Waste Management Segment) will successively be retrofitted with a technical system that uses an activated carbon filter to purify, chill and carbonise drinking water using an active carbon filter. This will cut down on plastic packaging.

Water that is extracted from the groundwater or a running water for being used as a heat medium (steam, warm water or cooling water) or as process water is usually treated (softened), ozone is added and the pH value is adjusted as required. Any waste water that exceeds certain legal limits is treated internally or externally before being fed into the receiving water or public sewer network.

Internal waste management

All waste internally generated in Austria, mainly consisting of waste from maintenance and servicing works to the generation plants, is separated by material and logged at each individual site (in accordance with § 10 Waste Management Act 2002). Recyclable waste (e.g. scrap metal, paper) are handed over to recycling companies.

All other waste in Austria (ash from the biomass incineration Timelkam, slag from the waste incineration plant in Wels, scrap metal, workshop refuse, contents of oil separators, or flotsam arriving at hydropower plants) is handed over to a licensed waste collection company.

In addition to the usual household waste from office buildings, the operation of water supply and waste water management systems in the Czech Republic Segment produces additional waste as specified in the waste catalogue. Sewage treatment plants produce such waste as fat and oil mixtures or sewage sludge. By contrast, companies active in the heating area are faced with ash from burning biomass as a waste product.