Electrabel Activities Report 2009 by The Crew Communication

VISIBLE RESULTS

Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009

OUR VALUES Drive

Commitment

Guaranteeing our performance over the long term for all our stakeholders, continually seeking efďŹ ciency and innovation on behalf of our clients and in the public service.

Advancing the Groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s development with respect for the planet while providing essential services for people.

Daring

Cohesion

Living in the present with optimism and building for the future with creativity.

Mobilising all our strengths with a shared spirit of teamwork to make energy and the environment sustainable sources of progress and development.

CONTENT Message from the General Manager ...................................................... 2 01 RELYING ON A STRONG BASIS............................................................. 5 02 TRUST IN RELIABLE EQUIPMENT .................................................... 15 03 STRENGTHENING THE BOND WITH THE CUSTOMER .... 29 04 PURSUING AN EXEMPLARY FUNCTION ..................................... 39 05 EVALUATING THE RESULTS ................................................................... 51 Glossary ........................................................................................................................... 66 Information ................................................................................................................... 67

Electrabel, Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009 This report places Electrabel within the context of GDF SUEZ Group and describes the company’s activities and most important key ﬁgures in Belgium. The report also demonstrates how Electrabel is meeting the commitments that it entered into in its sustainable development plan Together for less CO2. The contents of the report have been brought into line with the data contained in the 2008 Activities report (September 2009) and the Green book Together for less CO2 (October 2008). They are also based on the GRIguidelines (see page 53). The report covers the period 1 January 2009 - 31 December 2009. In addition, some important developments that were reported on in early 2010 are mentioned. All ﬁgures relate to the year 2009, unless otherwise stated. The intention is to generate this report on an annual basis.

Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009 | 1

The view of Sophie Dutordoir, General Manager Electrabel

“An energy provider that’s committed, responsible and involved.” Sophie Dutordoir, what is the objective of this report?

What are your ambitions now in Belgium?

The starting-point is clear: many things are said

cal territory, and where we have three ambitions.

This annual report focuses on Belgium, our histori-

about Electrabel; however, these are often divorced

First of all, as is the case for all commercial compa-

from reality and from where we are today. To a cer-

nies, we want our customers to be satisﬁed. Our

tain extent, this is understandable because over a

offer combines attractive prices and a service qual-

short period – in fact, one of less than ten years

ity that is well above the average. Quality service

– Electrabel has changed considerably. As a result

for an energy company starts with accessibility. Our

of European directives and their transformation

customers can contact us personally at any time,

into Belgian legislation, our horizon has completely

24 hours a day, 7 days a week, via our shops, our

changed. From a company broadly integrating the

Post Ofﬁce counters, our thousands of partners-

entire electricity and gas value chain and strongly

installers, our Internet site or our contact centre,

dominant in Belgium, Electrabel has become an in-

which can boast an accessibility rate of 99%.

ternational player in a generation and sales market

However, it is not enough to be accessible! We

that is rife with competition. You can judge for your-

provide, ideally during the ﬁrst contact, an efﬁcient

selves: we have withdrawn entirely from electricity

response to all customers who have encountered

and gas transmission in Belgium. In the country’s

a problem. In addition, we offer modern services

three regions, we have brought back our position

that simplify life, such as an online procedure that

within the distribution system to one of a minority

removes the need for superﬂuous administrative

shareholder participation, while ceding operational

work for customers who are moving house; a text

management. In terms of generation, in Belgium

messaging service that tells customers who pay by

we have yielded signiﬁcant generating capacities

banker’s draft the debit balance on their account;

to SPE and E.ON – with the latter in exchange for

the possibility of chatting with our experts about

capacities in Germany. In doing so, we have cut our

any matter relating to billing, energy savings, etc.

market share from 83% to a little more than 60%,

Thanks to these measures, since the opening-up

whilst bolstering our presence on the German mar-

of the market, our customer satisfaction and loy-

ket since the real physical market comprises the

alty indicators have increased signiﬁcantly. This is

Benelux, France and Germany, a region that is ﬁrm-

also reﬂected in the level of complaints we receive,

ly interconnected and where prices broadly con-

which is considerably lower than our competitors’.

verge. With a share of 8% in generating capacity,

For us and our employees, this is great encourage-

the GDF SUEZ position on this market is sizeable

ment to continue along this path, because, when

compared with those of EDF, E.ON and RWE, but it

talking about service quality, continuous improve-

is far from dominant.

ment is a must.

Lastly, in sales – a completely liberalised activity – we currently hold a market share in Belgium of less than 70%.

You mentioned three ambitions. What is the second one? We are an energy company that takes its responsibilities seriously in regard to respecting sustain-

2 | Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009

able development. We make sure that energy is

challenges, we ﬁrst rely on an energy mix, which

available at competitive prices in environmentally-

includes nuclear, gas, coal and renewable sources,

friendly ways.

of which the leading source in Belgium is biomass.

We called our global-warming reduction programme

We have balanced facilities that also perform well.

Together for less CO2. Two years after its launch,

In 2009, our power stations recorded an availability

the results are good. Our CO2 emissions per kWh

rate of 87%, a level of performance resulting from

generated have been reduced by around 40% in re-

the expertise and motivation of our teams, from the

lation to 1990 levels and one-third of this improve-

great attention we pay to safety, and to the quality

ment has been achieved in the past two years. Our

of our equipment.

emissions of SO2, NOx and particulates have de-

Our second ambition is therefore to consolidate our

creased by about 90% since 1990. In the course

position as a responsible energy provider.

of just a year, we convinced more than 350 000 of up for our green offer supplying 100% renewable

You talked about three ambitions. What is the last one?

electricity, generated from facilities we operate in

As a big industrial group that has been operating for

Belgium.

a long time in Belgium, GDF SUEZ and Electrabel

When dealing with energy, protecting the environ-

have also to assure a social role. In the future, we

ment is not the only challenge. Electricity and natu-

want to continue to be a company committed to

ral gas prices also receive a lot of attention because

local communities. That requires us to make a con-

of their impact on our companies’ competitiveness

tribution to the country’s economic life, which we

and on household purchasing power.

have done by investing 500 million euros a year, as

In the wake of hikes in fuel prices on world markets,

well as by creating jobs. Today, Electrabel has 7 500

the price of electricity underwent sharp increases

employees in Belgium and GDF SUEZ has 20 000.

in 2008. Today, it has returned to the level of early

It is worthwhile recalling that, in 2009, the elec-

2007. With few exceptions, wholesale prices con-

tricity and gas sector was one of the few sectors

verge on the market that comprises the Benelux,

where the employment rate increased by almost

France and Germany.

5% compared to 2008, despite the strained eco-

Belgian electricity prices for residential customers

nomic circumstances.

compare favourably with the average of those in

Above and beyond the economic issues, we also

Belgium’s four neighbouring countries – Germany,

want to contribute to fulﬁlling society’s other ex-

France, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

pectations. By mobilising every year more than

There are, nonetheless, some inconsistencies

2.5 million euros for patronage actions, GDF SUEZ

among them: these last few months, the average

and Electrabel support a range of initiatives in cul-

customer in Belgium has been paying a great deal

ture, sport, job market access and the environment

less for his electricity than his German or Dutch

in Belgium. By making our skills available to others,

counterparts, but more than he would pay in France

we help people’s projects come true. For example,

or the United Kingdom. Since the opening-up of the

in the Antarctic, with Laborelec, our technical and

markets, Belgian natural gas prices have generally

scientiﬁc competence centre, we helped design

been lower than that same average and are cur-

and build a ‘zero-emission’ polar station under ex-

rently the lowest on the market, with the exception

treme weather conditions. Lastly, we provide as-

of the United Kingdom.

sistance and lend our image to citizens’ actions, to

our residential and professional customers to sign

the Red Cross in support of blood donations and,

Besides climate challenge and competitive prices, there is also the issue of supply security. How does Electrabel manage these three challenges?

more recently, to the Belgian Road Safety Institute

You are right to raise this. Electrabel is also com-

pany, and a business involved in the community all

mitted to guaranteeing, at all times, security of

at once.

to promote road safety. This is our aim – to be an energy supplier committed to its customers, a responsible energy com-

supply to all its customers. To manage these three

Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009 | 3

4 | Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009

RELYING ON A STRONG BASIS

• Part of GDF SUEZ • Largest electricity producer and supplier in Belgium • Ten commitments for less CO2

Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009 | 5

01.RELYING ON A STRONG BASIS Part of a world leader in energy

Major industrial customers, active in a number of countries, are serviced under the GDF SUEZ Global

Electrabel forms part of GDF SUEZ, one of the

Energy brand name.

leading energy providers in the world, active across the entire energy value chain, in electricity and natu-

The activities of the GDF SUEZ Energy Benelux &

ral gas, upstream to downstream.

Germany business area have been carried out under leadership of Sophie Dutordoir, Chief Executive

The GDF SUEZ Group is organised around six busi-

Ofﬁcer since 19 July 2009. Key ﬁgures for the busi-

ness lines: ﬁve business lines in energy and one

ness area are summarised on page 56.

in environment. The GDF SUEZ Energy Europe & International business line comprises ﬁve geographically demarcated business areas. The GDF SUEZ Energy Benelux & Germany business area

GDF SUEZ: key ﬁgures (year 2009)

is responsible for the production of electricity and • 200 650 employees throughout

the sale of electricity, natural gas and energy services in Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and

the world, incl. 134 750 in energy

Germany. It is also responsible for the optimisation

and energy services and 65 900

of the company’s positions in this region (portfolio

in environment • 72.7 GW of installed power-

management). The operational duties of the business area are carried out by and under the brand

production capacity

name Electrabel, GDF SUEZ Group in the Benelux

• € 79.9 billion revenues

(in Luxembourg, electricity production is carried out

• 1 200 researchers and experts at 9 research & development centres

under the brand name Twinerg, GDF SUEZ Group). In Germany, GDF SUEZ Energy Deutschland carries out its activities under the brand name GDF SUEZ.

GDF SUEZ: organisation GDF SUEZ

Energy France

Energy Europe & International

Global Gas & LNG

Infrastructures

Energy Benelux & Germany

Energy Europe

Energy Latin America

Energy North America

6 | Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009

Energy Services

Energy Middle East, Asia and Africa

SUEZ Environnement

Market leader in the Benelux

GDF SUEZ portfolio and trading operations support and optimise the Electrabel sales and production

Electrabel sells electricity, natural gas, energy prod-

activities. The Group is active on all trading markets

ucts and services to 6 million residential, profes-

in Europe where it buys and sells electricity, fuel,

sional and industrial customers and public institu-

CO2 credits… Portfolio Management guarantees

tions in the Benelux. In 2009, sales volumes were

the power stations’ fuel supply and ensures an

94 129 GWh electricity and 72 549 GWh natural

optimal use of production means. These activities

gas.

allow Electrabel to provide to its customers, who want to actively manage and optimise their energy

In this market, the company also produces electric-

portfolio, a complete and varied offer on risk man-

ity and heat with diversiﬁed generating facilities

agement level, the supply of energy products, cus-

of 16 265 MW. Their greenhouse gas emissions

tomised complex solutions, green products, emis-

are among the lowest in Europe. Electrabel’s park

sion rights...

consists of nuclear power stations, power stations working on fossil fuels (especially natural gas and

Electrabel employs 8 732 employees in the Benelux-

coal), installations using renewable energy sources

region. The company recruits new employees on

and pumped storage power stations. Sizeable new

a regular basis, and they are given ample oppor-

construction projects in Belgium (conventional

tunities to build a challenging and enriching career

power station Knippegroen, 305 MW) and in the

within the international GDF SUEZ Group.

Netherlands (CCGT power stations Flevo, 870 MW; high yield coal power station in Rotterdam, 800 MW) ensure that the company has at its disposal enough production capacity in the Benelux and maintains a balance between its sales and production portfolio.

Electrabel in Benelux: key ﬁgures (year 2009) • Largest electricity producer in Belgium

• 8 732 employees

• Largest electricity supplier in Belgium

• 3.9 million electricity customers*

• Second largest natural gas supplier in

• 2.15 million natural gas customers*

Belgium • Largest producer and supplier of green electricity in Belgium • Largest electricity producer in the Netherlands • Largest electricity producer in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

• 94.1 TWh of electricity sales** • 72.5 TWh of natural gas sales** • 16.3 GW of generating capacity * supply points ** sales inside the area A summary of these key ﬁgures can be found per country on page 56.

Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009 | 7

01 RELYING ON A STRONG BASIS

New positions in Belgium

Electrabel has a minority share (maximum 30%), which it is gradually decreasing. In Flanders (Ean-

Electrabel is the largest seller of electricity, the

dis) and in Brussels (Brussels Network Opera-

second largest supplier of natural gas and the

tions), a similar operation took place in 2006.

largest producer of electricity in Belgium. It can call on more than a century’s experience.

The decision by the Council of Ministers to extend the operations period of the nuclear power stations

Since 2001, the gradual opening up of the energy

Doel 1, Doel 2 and Tihange 1 and the agreements

markets in Belgium, in which the company actively

reached by GDF SUEZ with the Belgian State in this

participated, triggered a process that, bit by bit,

context – amongst other things, investing in renew-

has whittled down its historical lead in this market.

able energy via Electrabel – will also have a marked

Also in 2009, steps were taken to promote more

impact on the company’s activities in the coming

competition and the more efﬁcient operation of the

years.

energy market in Belgium. Electrabel also commenced procedures to sell its • The German energy company E.ON acquired

shares in the natural gas transmission company

941 MW of Electrabel’s production means (the

Fluxys as well as the electricity transmission com-

Langerlo conventional power station and the

pany Elia. Negotiations with candidate buyers, in

Vilvoorde CCGT power station), as well as

early 2010, led to an agreement on the sale of its

770 MW nuclear capacity in the form of drawing

full participation in Fluxys to the municipal holding,

rights from the Doel and Tihange nuclear power

Publigas, and of 12.5% of its shares in Elia to the

stations (of which 270 MW is supplied in the

municipal holding, Publi-T. At the end of May 2010,

Netherlands). In exchange, the GDF SUEZ Group

the Group pulled out of the companies that manage

acquired approximately 1 700 MW production ca-

Belgium’s transport networks for good.

pacity in Germany (nuclear drawing rights, coal and natural gas power stations, renewable energy and pumped storage power stations). • SPE, the second largest electricity producer in Belgium, which already had a capacity share of 161.5 MW in the Doel and Tihange nuclear pow-

Share in generating capacity in Belgium in % – source: estimation Electrabel

er stations, acquired additional nuclear capacity

Others Electrabel

of 250 MW in these units. Electrabel also supplies SPE with another capacity of 100 MW on the Belgian network in exchange for the same volume on the French network originating from SPE’s participation in the Chooz nuclear power station.

83 64

• Electrabel’s activities concerning electricity and natural gas distribution networks in Wallonia were taken over by the Opérateur des Réseaux Gaz & Électricité (ORES). ORES operates on behalf of the distribution system operators in which

8 | Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009

2008

2010

RELYING ON A STRONG BASIS 01

Electrabel in Belgium: key ďŹ gures (year 2009) Sales

Environment

Electricity sales

68.9 TWh

Natural gas sales

55.8 TWh

Share of generating capacity CO 2 emission-free

52.7% 61.9%

Electricity customers*

3.64 million

Share of electricity generation CO 2 emission-free

Natural gas customers*

1.92 million

Emission of CO 2

202 g/kWh

Emission of SO 2

55 mg/kWh 138 mg/kWh

Generation Generating capacity

11.8 GW

Emission of NOx

Electricity generation

66 TWh

Management

Heat generation

5.3 TWh

Share of electricity generation certiďŹ ed ISO 14001

Renewable energy Generating capacity

93%

419 MW

Share in total generating capacity

3.55%

Share in total electricity generation

2.77%

Staff Employees

7 447

* supply points

Organisation of the net activities in Belgium (at end 2009) Activity

Body in charge

Operator

Shares that Electrabel has in the capital

Electricity transmission(1)

Elia

24.35% in Elia(3)

Electricity and natural gas distribution in Flanders

Distribution system operators(2)

Eandis

30% in the mixed DSOs

Electricity and natural gas distribution in Brussels

Sibelga

BNO

30% in Sibelga

Electricity and natural gas distribution in Wallonia

Distribution system operators(2)

ORES

30% in the mixed DSOs(4)

(1) (2) (3) (4)

The transmission of natural gas is undertaken by the company Fluxys in which Electrabel has a 38.5% share via SUEZ-TRACTEBEL(3) The previous intermunicipal companies were appointed as distribution system operators At the beginning of 2010, Electrabel reached an agreement on the sale of its participations (refer to the text on pg. 8) Voting rights

Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009 | 9

01 RELYING ON A STRONG BASIS

Strongly committed to sustainable development

What is your initial assessment of the strategy and what are the objectives for the future? Our results are also crystal clear: since 1990, Electrabel has improved the energy efﬁciency of its generation facilities by 20% and has reduced its CO2 emissions by 40%, which places us among the best electricity suppliers in Europe in terms of CO2 emissions per kWh generated.

Bruno Defrasnes, Sustainable Development Manager Electrabel

However, Electrabel considers that its past efforts do not exempt it from future actions. For this reason, it has identiﬁed the continuing improvement of its performance in Belgium in terms of CO2 emis-

What is Electrabel’s vision and strategy in relation to the challenges posed by sustainable development?

sions as the number one priority of its sustainable

Energy has the special characteristic of being es-

Together for less CO2.

development strategy. So, at the end of 2008, we published our sustainable development plan

sential to life and to any economic development. Conducting a sustainable energy policy has always

Tackling climate change effectively will necessarily

been at the centre of Electrabel’s strategy. This is

require fundamental changes in the way in which

easier said than done: making energy accessible

energy is generated, transported and consumed.

to all, at all times and everywhere, at a reasonable

This ‘energy revolution’ presents as many techno-

price and without damaging our planet or its inhab-

logical, industrial and political challenges as it does

itants. Climate change has become a major concern

new behaviours and energy systems to be rein-

for our stakeholders, and energy is at the centre

vented. Succeeding in this energy transition will re-

of the debate since electricity generation, domestic

quire the responsible use of all of the technological

heating and the energy consumption of our enter-

solutions available and those to come, as well as

prises each represent 20% of CO2 emissions.

the mobilisation of all of the economic players in

The environment has always occupied an impor-

the energy sector, those who generate it and those

tant place in our strategic thinking, and Electrabel’s

who consume it, among those who deﬁne the rules

endeavour to reduce its CO2 emissions is certainly

of the game, those who apply them and those to

nothing new. As long ago as 1995, a good two

whom they are applied.

years before the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol, we launched a policy aimed at controlling our emis-

It is this theme of ‘acting together’ which is at the

sions, promoting rational use of energy and setting

centre of Electrabel’s climate plan Together for less

our priorities for electricity generation. The strategy

CO2, which is structured around 10 speciﬁc com-

was already crystal clear: to generate electricity

mitments.

with less primary energy and fewer CO2 emissions

Through this plan, Electrabel intends to:

in order to reconcile the economic and environmen-

• continue its efforts in order to reduce CO2 emis-

tal aspects.

sions from its generation facilities;

10 | Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009

RELYING ON A STRONG BASIS 01

• make available to its customers, and to as many

and keeping them informed of the results of our

people as possible, the expertise acquired in

sustainable development programme in all trans-

recent decades to improve the energy and envi-

parency. It reviews the achievements and the key

ronmental efﬁciency of its generation facilities to

performance indicators relating to the implementa-

enable them to further reduce their CO2 footprint

tion of our plan.

while decreasing their energy expenditure; • stimulate the development of technologies, sys-

To the best of our ability, we try to comply with the

tems and market mechanisms toward an efﬁ-

recommendations of the Global Reporting Initiative

cient, low-carbon energy future;

(GRI), working guidelines deﬁned by the stakehol-

• intensify the dialogue with citizens, communities, enterprises and the authorities;

ders for the publication of sustainable development data. We have also undertaken to submit this

• last, we want to apply to ourselves what we

report for external certiﬁcation as of the 2010 ﬁnan-

recommend to others. This requires translating

cial year. We are thus in line with the GDF SUEZ

our commitments into not just the mentalities

approach.

but also, and above all, the daily lives of all of our co-workers.

and regulatory aspects…), the initial results of our

Position of the Sustainable Development department in the organisation

plan are very encouraging. At the end of 2009, two

The Sustainable Development department

years after the launch of our plan, the CO2 emis-

was established in 2007. It forms part of the

sions from our generation facilities had been re-

Strategy, Regulatory Affairs and Sustainable

duced by over 10%, over 350 000 of our customers

Development Directorate, one of the support serv-

had opted for our green electricity and the carbon

ices within the organisation of the GDF SUEZ

balance of our daily activities showed a score of mi-

Energy Benelux & Germany business area,

nus 12%.

whose director is a member of the Executive

Despite the scale of the task and the obstacles to be overcome (resistance to change, credibility, legal

Committee of the business area. The departBut the end of the road will be neither in 2010 nor

ment, in close cooperation with the operational

in 2015. Our efforts must continue and expand to

entities and the other supporting services of the

other ﬁelds, in particular through research and inno-

business area, as well as with local persons in

vation in tomorrow’s clean energies and techno-

charge, is responsible for developing a sustain-

logies, which alone can guarantee the continuity of

able development reﬂex among the business

our activities.

area’s teams, as well as implementing the relevant strategy and initiatives decided upon by

Why did you publish this first sustainable development report?

the Executive Committee. The department −

This report speciﬁcally meets one of the ten com-

GDF SUEZ Group strategy − had ﬁve full-time

mitments that we set for ourselves, namely main-

employees at the end of 2009.

also responsible for ensuring conformity with

taining an active dialogue with our stakeholders

Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009 | 11

01 RELYING ON A STRONG BASIS

One plan – Ten commitments

Within the scope of its Together for less CO2 plan, Electrabel agrees to: Sustainable generation

Have Ha ve a att it itss di disp disposal spos osal al

In Inve vest st 5 500 00 m mil illi lion on e eur uros os by by Invest million euros

Continue to limit the

rene re newa wabl ble e en ener ergy gy-b -bas ased ed renewable energy-based

2015 sso 2015 o as to to co cont ntin inue to t continue

environmental footprint of

generating facilities to cover

improve the energy efﬁciency

its production activities.

total consumption needs

of its conventional power

of one million households

plants in Belgium, and thus

b y 2015. by

improve its CO2 footprint.

Electrabel will have reduced its CO2 emissions by 1.7 million tonnes by 2015 (cumulated reductions during 2008-2014, at a constant production rate – reference year: 2007).

Our attitude

10.

Maintain a transparent

Reduce by 21% the CO2

Encourage research and

dialogue with stakeholders.

emissions of the daily

development of innovative

activities of its employees

technology that contributes

in Belgium by 2011.

to ﬁghting global warming.

12 | Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009

RELYING ON A STRONG BASIS 01

Working together

Help its customers

Work together with its

to reduce their energy

customers to ensure they

consumption.

produce by themselves more environmentally friendly energy while reducing their energy expenditure.

Offer its customers 100%

Encourage transport

certiﬁed green energy, pro-

duced by renewable energy-

electricity.

based generating facilities: wind farms, hydroelectric plants, photovoltaic panels and biomass installations.

“Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” This internationally-recognised deﬁnition comes from the report “Our Common Future”, also known as the “Brundtland Report” (1987).

Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009 | 13

14 | Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009

TRUST IN RELIABLE EQUIPMENT

• 11 800 MW of generating capacity • 62% of generation CO2-free • Green energy for 523 000 households • 13% less CO2 in two years

Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009 | 15

02.TRUST IN RELIABLE EQUIPMENT Flexible generating facilities of 11 800 MW

a 180 MW biomass power station in Rodenhuize (refer to pg. 20 for more information on the production park with renewable energy sources).

Electrabel had production capacity of 11 821 MW in Belgium at the end of 2009 (share of the company).

In addition, because of the exchange of production

Because of the diversiﬁcation of technology and

capacity with E.ON (refer to pg. 8), the Electrabel

fuels − reﬂecting GDF SUEZ Group strategy − the

production park lost the Langerlo (602 MW) and

generating facilities offer the necessary ﬂexibility

Vilvoorde (385 MW) power stations in November.

to safeguard customer supply, at economically ac-

And, at the end of 2009, the Amercoeur conven-

ceptable and stable conditions while respecting the

tional power station (127 MW) and a CHP unit in

environment, in particular in the context of climate

Langerbrugge (22 MW) were decommissioned.

change.

62% of production is CO2 emission-free In 2009, the power stations produced 66 000 GWh

At the end of 2009, 52.7% of the generating facili-

electricity (+1.5% compared to 2008) and 5 300

ties’ capacity consisted of CO2-free power stations

GWh heat (-15% compared to 2008) (share of the

(nuclear power stations, pumped storage power

company). In total (at 100%), they consumed 234

stations, renewable energy) and 22.2% of CO2-

million GJ natural gas (67%), coal (21%), biomass

poor power stations (natural gas-ﬁred CCGT units

(8%), oil and blast furnace gas.

and CHP). 61.9% of the electricity production took place without CO2 emissions. The quantity of

725 MW new production capacity

carbon dioxide emitted by the park per produced

Electrabel manages its generating facilities dynami-

kilowatt-hour is amongst the lowest in Europe (refer

cally. It ensures ongoing upgrades with the most

to pg. 24).

advanced technologies that are more energy efﬁcient and less polluting. In 2009, the production park was expanded with (refer to pg. 56): • the Knippegroen power station at Sidmar (305 MW); • the Lanxess Rubber combined heat and power unit (58 MW); • extra nuclear power of approximately 2 x 40 MW

Generating capacity of Electrabel in Belgium in GW

13.1

12.9

13.3 11.8

by the replacement of the turbine rotors in the Tihange 3 and Doel 4 nuclear power stations; • 8 MW wind turbine farms and 3 MW of solar energy. Electrabel is also busy constructing 86 MW (40.5 MW additional nuclear power with the replacement of the steam generators in the Doel 1 nuclear power station; the CHP unit Evonik Degussa in which it has a share of 21 MW; 24 MW renewable energy) and it has started a project for

16 | Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009

2006

2007

2008

2009

The signiﬁcant drop in 2009 is due to the relinquishing of capacity to SPE and E.ON (refer to pg. 8)

Generating facilities of Electrabel in Belgium – at end 2009 Zandvliet Power Herdersbrug

Knippegroen Doel Rodenhuize

Mol Kallo

Drogenbos Ruien Awirs Amercoeur

Saint-Ghislain

Tihange

CCGT Combined heat and power Conventional power station Nuclear power station Pumped storage power station

Coo

Plate Taille

Renewable energy: refer to pg. 21

Share (%) of power stations in Electrabel’s generating capacity in Belgium at end 2009

Share (%) of power stations in Electrabel’s net electricity generation in Belgium in 2009 0.4%

11.1% 1.1% 3.3%

38.1%

7.2%

6.2%

24.2%

0.8%

2.1% 57%

13.8%

16.0%

Share (%) of fuels in Electrabel’s generating capacity in Belgium at end 2009

18.7%

Nuclear power station CCGT Conventional power station Combined heat and power Energy recovery, gas turbine, turbojet Hydroelectric power station, wind farm, photovoltaic panel Pumped storage power station

Share (%) of fuels in Electrabel’s net electricity generation in Belgium in 2009 2.1% 2.3%

38.1% 11.1%

2.8% 6.7%

7.1% 3.6% 7.4%

32.7%

29.1%

57%

Nuclear Natural gas Coal Biomass, hydroelectric, wind, photovoltaic Oil, waste, blast furnace gas Pumped storage

Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009 | 17

02 TRUST IN RELIABLE EQUIPMENT

An important year for the nuclear power stations

Commissioned by the Belgian government, specialists from the International Atomic Energy Agency carried out OSART-audits in Doel and Tihange,

Electrabel operates seven nuclear reactors in Belgium

while experts from the World Association of Nu-

− four in the Doel nuclear power station and three in

clear Operators carried out two voluntary WANO

the Tihange nuclear power station – one of the cor-

Peer Reviews. The audits conﬁrmed that Electrabel

nerstones of its varied energy mix and which make

prioritises safety and that it is constantly improving

an important contribution to limiting CO2 emissions.

the optimal safety and reliability of its installations. In Doel, for example, besides several recommenda-

High availability of 88%

tions and suggestions for improvement, the OSART-

The nuclear power stations represented 38.1% of

team noted fourteen best practices that constitute

the production capacity and 57% of the company’s

world-wide examples. The company’s continuous

production in Belgium in 2009 (refer to pg. 17). The

training and education of its own staff, as well as

nuclear production park’s availability amounted to

that of external companies may also be seen in this

87.6% as opposed to 84.8% in 2008. In 2009, the

context. In 2009, the number of training hours in

nuclear units’ performance was further enhanced by

nuclear power stations was 300 000 (2/3 own staff;

the replacement of the steam generators in Doel 1

1/3 contractors).

and the turbine rotors in Doel 4 and Tihange 3. Thanks to these improvements which entailed an

External audits carried out in the nuclear power stations

investment of 180 million euros, the power of each OSART

unit increased by approximately 40 MW. Tihange 1

Operations period extension of 10 years

Tihange 1, 2 and 3

2009 was an important year for the nuclear power

Doel 1 and 2

stations, following the Council of Ministers’ decision to extend the operations period of the Doel 1 and 2

Doel 1, 2, 3 and 4

WANO

January 2009* October 2009 March 2010 February 2009

*follow-up audit

and Tihange 1 units by ten years (refer to pg. 8) − these three units supplied 32.5% of the total nucle-

In 2009, Electrabel organised three emergency ac-

ar production in Belgium in 2009. Electrabel started

tion plan exercises in its nuclear power stations to

a Long Term Operation programme to ensure their

verify their organisational efﬁciency in the event of

performance in the long run.

a crisis. In the ambit of the nuclear and radiological emergency plan for the Belgian territory, and initiat-

The GEMIX group − a group of local and foreign

ed by the Internal Affairs Crisis Centre, a large-scale

specialists, commissioned by the government, who

crisis exercise spanning two days was organised

studied the ideal energy mix for Belgium − further-

in the Doel nuclear power station, where a nuclear

more conﬁrmed, in its ﬁnal report, that a departure

accident was simulated. The Electrabel crisis team

from nuclear energy would severely affect the

participated actively in the exercise, in cooperation

country’s energy supply.

with the relevant federal, provincial and local governments.

Nuclear safety priority accredited externally

Meanwhile, the company has started work on a

2009, as well as early 2010, saw several external

2015. The aim of the plan is to deﬁne the company’s

audits in the Doel and Tihange nuclear power sta-

main lines of work in the ﬁelds of nuclear safety.

tions, where the safety measures were compared

It takes feedback from OSART reviews and WANO

with the best practices implemented world-wide.

inspection assignments into account.

new Global Nuclear Safety Plan for the period 2011-

18 | Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009

TRUST IN RELIABLE EQUIPMENT 02

Nuclear power stations ready for the future Moreover, Electrabel has been investing continuously for years in an effort to boost the performance of nuclear power stations and improve their already highly level of availability. We’re aiming to beat 91%. In fact, we recently replaced the turbine rotors in some units and the steam generators at Doel 1.

Jean Van Vyve, Nuclear Generation Manager Electrabel

Where do things stand with recruiting nuclear personnel? Today, our nuclear power stations have 1 700 collaborators. In recent years personnel numbers have risen sharply. We’ve hired around a hundred senior

How do you see the future of nuclear power in Belgium?

staff. We now have enough new, motivated staff

Positively! I assume the Belgian State will respect

projects such as Long Term Operation. Among op-

its decision to extend the operations period of

erational staff, too, the big wave of departures – and

Doel 1 & 2 and Tihange 1 by 10 years as well as

subsequent recruitment – is over. We are gradually

the associated agreement, and will reﬂect them

moving into a stabilisation phase. The most impor-

in relevant legislation. A decision about the other

tant thing now is properly organising the transfer of

nuclear power stations will have to be made within

knowledge. It is critically important to ensure that

six or seven years. Naturally, I hope to see their

knowledge acquired in the past by older members

operations period extended too. Why not? I ﬁrmly

of staff is not lost!

who can roll up their sleeves and get to work on

believe that Belgium’s best option for electricity production is to use diversiﬁed generating facilities,

Are there specific safety targets?

of which nuclear power is one part.

Nuclear safety is, and remains, a priority and an ongoing focal point at our nuclear power stations. We

Nuclear power provides security of supply, does not

have launched improvement schemes to continue

produce CO2, is safe and is relatively inexpensive.

optimising operations and to strive for compliance

I hope that public opinion and the politicians see

with international standards and best practices in

that a good balance is needed between multiple

all areas. This has been recognised by external ex-

sources of energy.

perts from the IAEA. Tihange earned great marks during the OSART follow-up audit in early 2009. The

Are the power stations preparing for a longer operations period?

site scored high, comparable with the best in the

We’ve launched a project called Long Term Opera-

the results of the OSART audit were positive, and a

tion. We’re working on ‘ageing management’ and

great many good practices were highlighted.

world. In early 2010, Doel followed suit. Once again,

the ‘analysis of design upgrades’. In the future, many components will be replaced in order to

The new ﬁve-year nuclear safety plan for 2011-2015

counter the ageing process and further boost the

we are currently developing is also an important

level of nuclear safety. We have to submit our tech-

tool. But we are not neglecting industrial safety, for

nical report to the authorities by the end of 2011.

our own personnel as well as contractors. Aware-

We have bolstered the relevant teams for nuclear

ness-raising actions and a lot of communication

support services, Tractebel Engineering and on-site

should encourage everyone to work more safely

Engineering Support.

and pay more attention, day in and day out – even to the small things.

Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009 | 19

02 TRUST IN RELIABLE EQUIPMENT

Controlling radioactive waste and discharges

is to have, by 2015, a production park with renew-

Operating nuclear power stations generates radio-

ity to supply one million households entirely with

active waste and involves radioactive discharges

green energy.

able energy sources (RES) having enough capac-

into the environment. It is our responsibility to continuously reduce their volume. In 2009, the amount

Green energy for 523 000 households

of conditioned low- and medium-level radioactive

At the end of 2009, Electrabel’s portfolio consisted

waste generated by the Doel and Tihange nuclear

of 419 MW in biomass installations, wind farms,

power stations amounted to 5.9 m /TWh. This drop

hydroelectric power plants and photovoltaic pan-

of 59% compared to 1990 is the result of efforts at

els, the equivalent of 3.55% of its total capacity in

technical and organisational level. The nuclear pow-

Belgium. Over the 2008-2009 period, the company

er stations’ liquid and gaseous discharges remained

invested 100 million euros in new RES capacity.

largely below the authorised annual limits (refer to pg. 59). The EMAS environmental declarations pub-

In 2009, the wind farms at Dour (extension of

lished each year by the Doel and Tihange nuclear

4 MW) and Ford Genk (4 MW), as well as nine

power stations provide a detailed summary of their

photovoltaic installations − including at Beaulieu in

total effect on the environment.

Kruishoutem (1.1 MW) and at Volvo Trucks in Ghent (extension of 0.5 MW) − came into use. Because of

5.6 billion euros in nuclear reserves

the transfer of the 56 MW biomass capacity of the

The ﬁnancial reserves required in the future to

Langerlo power station to E.ON (refer to pg. 8), the

manage the irradiated spent fuels and for the dis-

total capacity at the end of the year had, however,

mantling of the nuclear power stations, are built

dropped by 45 MW compared to 2008. At the end

up, year by year, by Electrabel. Since 2003, the

of 2009, there were 4 wind farms (24 MW) and one

Synatom company is legally required to man-

photovoltaic plant (0.2 MW) under construction.

age these nuclear reserves under the control of the Belgian State. On 31 December 2009, nuclear

The RES plants produced 1.83 TWh, the equivalent

reserves totalled an amount of almost 5.6 billion

of the electricity consumption of 523 000 house-

euros, of which 3.7 billion were for waste manage-

holds. Production remained virtually the same as in

ment and 1.9 billion for dismantling works.

2008, mainly because of the lack of biomass incineration at the Rodenhuize power station over several months (estimated production loss of 200 GWh).

Renewable energy

TOGETHER FOR LESS CO2 Having at its disposal renewable energybased generating facilities to cover the needs of one million households.

Renewable energy-based electricity production of Electrabel in Belgium in GWh

Hydroelectric Wind Biomass Photovoltaic Total

Electrabel is the largest producer and supplier of green power in Belgium. The company’s objective

Number of households*

2009

2008

2007

191

147

116

1 580

1 638

1 217

1 831

1 859

1 407

523 000

531 000

402 000

*3 500 kWh/year per household

20 | Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009

TRUST IN RELIABLE EQUIPMENT 02

Generating facilities of Electrabel in Belgium – renewable energy – at end 2009 Hoogstraten

BASF

Kasterlee

Pathoekeweg Rodenhuize

Mol Volvo

Schelle Wondelgem

Izegem

Ford Genk

Perwez Ruien Gembloux

Dour

Lanaken

Awirs Bütgenbach

Büllingen

Hydroelectric Photovoltaic (>0.2 MW) Biomass (co-)combustion Wind Other power stations: refer to pg. 17

Some headwind for offshore wind projects

Generating capacity of Electrabel in Belgium in MW - renewable energy

The offshore wind energy projects in which Electrabel is involved, in 2009, met with differing

Photovoltaic Hydroelectric

experiences.

Biomass Wind

The Council of State rejected the appeal that

464 403

419

Electrabel had lodged against the lifting of the

permit granted to it in 2002 for the building of the

340

284

Seanergy wind farm (100 MW). This meant that the

314

permit was permanently withdrawn and that the

140

construction of the project is no longer possible. 22

101

109

2007

2008

2009

76 22 42

2004

Capacity dropped in 2009, as a result of the transfer to E.ON of the 56 MW biomass capacity of the Langerlo power station.

Electrabel and the company Jan De Nul submitted two concession applications in 2008 for the building of wind turbine farms at two different areas in the North Sea − the projects Blue4Power zone I and zone II. After a negative recommendation from the CREG, which objected because of the impact on sea trafﬁc, the Minister of Energy decided, at

Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009 | 21

02 TRUST IN RELIABLE EQUIPMENT

the beginning of 2010, to reject the request for

500 million euros via Electrabel. This commitment

the zone I situated further north. The concession

was made in the context of the overall agreement

for zone II was allocated to another candidate.

reached with the Belgian State concerning the deci-

Electrabel is examining the consequences of these

sion to extend the operations period of the oldest

decisions for the continuation of the project.

nuclear power stations.

Electrabel reached an agreement with the Belwind

Furthermore, under the provisions of the Programme

company for the purchase of the power that will

Law, Electrabel established the BELGreen coopera-

be generated by the Belwind wind farm. In a ﬁrst

tive at the end of 2009, with the intention of invest-

phase, it involves an estimated production of

ing 250 million euros in renewable energy projects.

540 GWh/year, Electrabel will be able to commercialise through its green offer.

100% biomass to produce 180 MW

Conventional production park efﬁciency

In 2009, the company approved the project for the conversion in Rodenhuize power station of a

TOGETHER FOR LESS CO2

coal group into a 100% biomass-unit with a capacity of 180 MW. For this purpose, Electrabel and

500 million euro investment to continue improvements in the energy-efficiency of conventional power stations in Belgium.

Ackermans & van Haaren established the joint venture, Max Green, in which Electrabel has a 73% share. The conversion represents a 125 million euro investment and will commence in 2010. To safeguard the wood pellet supply of its biomass plants – in 2009, the company consumed 1.08 million tonnes of biomass of which 0.72 million tonnes

Due to the ongoing upgrading of generating facili-

were wood pellets −, Electrabel entered into a

ties, Electrabel’s power stations use less and less

partnership with Paciﬁc BioEnergy Corporation that

fuel to produce electricity. The fossil energy units

involves the expansion of an existing wood pellet

achieved an average yield of 42.6% in 2009, imply-

factory in British Columbia (Canada), as well as a

ing an increase of 20% since 1990 and of 2.4%

long-term supply contract for 225 000 tonnes of

over the last two years. This results in savings in

pellets/year.

fossil fuels, as well as a reduced environmental impact of the generating facilities.

Electrabel, furthermore, ensures that the biomass used is of a sustainable nature. For this purpose,

400 million euros for new high-yield units

the company created a unique certiﬁcation proce-

2009 signiﬁed the ﬁrst full production year for the

dure in cooperation with Laborelec. This entails the

new Amercoeur CCGT power station that came into

inspection of its biomass suppliers across the world

operation at the end of 2008 – Electrabel converted

by an independent institute.

an old coal group into a natural gas-ﬁred power station of 420 MW with a yield of 57%. Other pro-

Clear commitment to invest in renewable energy

duction units that were either in the start-up phase

The GDF SUEZ Group has committed to realise

should have an additional positive effect on the yield

an investment programme in renewable energy of

in future, are the 305 MW Knippegroen power plant

or under construction at the end of 2009 and that

22 | Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009

TRUST IN RELIABLE EQUIPMENT 02

on the ArcelorMittal (Sidmar) site in Ghent − this

13% less CO2 in two years

shall convert the blast furnace gasses of the steel

Over the last two years, the CO2-emissions per pro-

producer to electricity − and the Lanxess Rubber

duced kWh of the fossil-fuelled Electrabel produc-

(58 MW) and Evonik Degussa (21 MW) combined

tion park in Belgium declined by 12.8%. This signifi-

heat and power units in Antwerp Port. The compa-

cant drop – compared to 1990, it even amounts to

ny has invested 400 million euros in these projects

38% − is a consequence of a combination of fac-

since 2008.

tors relating to both company strategy and external influences (2009 values compared to 2008): • better availability and higher production of the nuclear power stations (+3.7%);

Efﬁciency of Electrabel’s fossil-fuelled power stations in Belgium in %

• the use of more biomass in the Rodenhuize power station (+4.8%); • the first full production year of the new Amercoeur natural gas-fired CCGT power station (57% yield);

41.6 40.9

42.0

42.6

• reduced industrial activity caused by the economic crisis resulting in less Sidmar blast furnace gas being incinerated in the Rodenhuize power

40.6

plant (-25.7%); • reduced coal consumption because of the better 37.7

competitive position of natural gas (-6.9%); • the closure of old coal-fired power stations.

35.5

Emissions per kWh generated by Electrabel’s generating facilities in Belgium in grammes of CO2/kWh

The end of a successful generation Conventional, CCGT, CHP Total park

At the end of 2009, Electrabel decommissioned the coal power station at Amercoeur, dating from 1968 (127 MW). The company also prepared the

977

closure of other older production plants which no longer comply with the prescribed environmental

692

663

604

and economic standards. In the course of 2010, the 131 MW Mol 12 coal group from 1967, the 124 MW Mol 11 coal group from 1963 and the 261 MW

349

Kallo 2 natural gas/fuel oil group from 1972 will be

232

215

202

stopping production activities.

1990

2007

2008

2009

Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009 | 23

02 TRUST IN RELIABLE EQUIPMENT

With the best in Europe Compared to other energy producers’ production parks in Europe, Electrabel’s park remains one of the best performers. CO2 emissions in grammes of CO2/kWh – year 2008 (Electrabel, year 2009) source: PwC

1 006 818

742 597 503 500 496 452 422 416 411 404

327

Europe: 350

283 202

140

101

I ) ) F ll x a d n g P Z n E m N el la DE Dra RW CE uo ED her nfa En nos .O on ope ro ium ED un rtu b d E t r D o N e g r r e t l u u F t F e Ve (E n Ib (Be So Va Z & io l E e h n b U tis SU ra ot ct DF e Sc l G E

Saving 1.7 million tonnes of CO2 By investing in renewable energy (commitment 1) and in improved efﬁciency of its conventional power stations (commitment 2), Electrabel wants to reduce its production park’s total CO2 emissions by 1.7 million tonnes over the period 2008-2014 (cumulated reductions, calculated for a constant production rate – reference year 2007). The results over the 2008-2009 period, show that the company is keeping its commitment. A total of 2.7 million tonnes less CO2 were emitted due to the economic downturn (lower consumption of blast furnace gas) and structural reasons (the closure of a part of the coal incineration at the Mol power station, the doubling of wood pellet incineration in the Rodenhuize power plant, the commissioning of the new CCGT Amercoeur power station).

Total ecological footprint

set down in a Global Environmental Plan 2008-2012. These are supplemented by environmental targets

Besides the measures taken by Electrabel to reduce

per theme and performance indicators measuring

its production park’s carbon footprint, the company

the progress. In support of its policy, Electrabel

implements an active policy to limit the emission of

launched a training course entitled ‘Environment

polluting substances, as well as the environmental

in Production’, compulsory for all new members of

impact in the ﬁeld of water, soil, noise, waste and

management in Production.

hazardous substances. The policy guidelines were

24 | Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009

TRUST IN RELIABLE EQUIPMENT 02

the water ﬂows. In addition, a second 2011-2015

TOGETHER FOR LESS CO2

Master Plan is being prepared to implement the en-

Continuing the limitation of the environmental impact of production activities.

by Laborelec in 2009 during energy audits of the

ergy saving measures (increase of yield), identiﬁed production sites.

Solutions for waste and soil problems The linchpins of Electrabel’s waste policy are to prevent and recycle or re-use as much as possible

93% of the activities under the control of an environmental management system

of waste materials and by-products. In 2009, the

The purpose of environmental management sys-

sites for this purposes, such as container parks for

tems is to promote the continuous improvement

hazardous waste and the use of biodegradable ma-

of a company’s environmental achievements and to

terials. These are laid down in a 2010-2012 action

encourage it to achieve increasingly higher objec-

plan for implementation in all power stations.

company listed the ‘Best Practices’ applied on its

tives. In 2009, the Ruien power station was awarded ISO 14001 environmental management system

In 2009, 99% of the by-products of coal incineration

certiﬁcation, resulting in the fact that 92.9% of

(ﬂy ash, bottom ash and ﬂue gas desulphurisation

Electrabel’s production in Belgium originated from

gypsum) were valorised, mainly in the construction

power stations with a certiﬁed environmental man-

industry (cement, concrete, plasterboard…). The re-

agement system. The introduction of an ISO 14001

cycling percentage amounted to 55.4% for industri-

management system in the Rodenhuize and Knip-

al waste. Electrabel also prepared a dossier regard-

pegroen power stations is also planned, which will

ing the evacuation of the former ﬂy ash storage site

ensure that all large Electrabel sites are certiﬁed.

of the Les Awirs power station – le terril de la Hénâ

The Doel and Tihange nuclear power stations are

– after a scientiﬁc study indicated that its long-term

also EMAS registered and, in that context, they

stability cannot be completely guaranteed. The ash

publish an annual environmental declaration detail-

will be transported to the cement plant, a sizeable

ing their environmental achievements.

operation that could last more than ten years.

As part of its environmental management systems,

PCB-containing appliances represent a special cat-

Electrabel, in 2009, developed a methodology for

egory of industrial waste. In 2001, with the Flemish

carrying out thematic audits in the power plants

and Walloon authorities, Electrabel prepared a plan

to test regulatory compliance. These audits will

to eliminate PCB-containing transformers in its

take place in the course of 2010. In the meantime,

electricity power plants by the end of 2010 at the

compared to 2005, the company has reduced the

latest. The last transformer covered by this plan was

number of emission limit value exceedances for air

removed from Flemish power stations in 2009. In

(22 in 2009) and water (24 in 2009) – as a result of

2010, the last seven transformers will be removed

unforeseen technical or operational problems – by

in Wallonia. Electrabel is also preparing an action

a factor of 7.

plan to eliminate as soon as possible some transformers not included in the initial removal plan.

To reduce the water consumption and the polluting liquid discharges, Electrabel is working on a 2011-

A soil survey was carried out in 2009 on several

2015 Master Plan that will contain practical actions

electric power plant sites (Amercoeur, Doel, Kallo,

based on a detailed inventory and description of

Tihange...) and any soil pollution was clearly mapped

Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009 | 25

02 TRUST IN RELIABLE EQUIPMENT

out. Risks will be evaluated in cooperation with the

In 2009, emissions continued to fall compared to

competent environmental authorities and a reme-

2008 – and by up to 50% in the case of SO2 – main-

diation plan will be set in motion, if necessary.

ly because of the increased use of wood pellets in the Rodenhuize power station, higher nuclear pro-

Electrabel started decontamination works of the

duction, the reduced use of coal in the Amercoeur 2

upper and lower basins at the Coo pumped stor-

power station and the new Amercoeur natural gas

age power plant in 2009. A technique was applied

stoked CCGT power station.

where biopolymers were injected in the soil sediments to break down organic contamination, built

Emissions of heavy metals, chlorides, ﬂuorides and

up over forty years of industrial activity. The works

the greenhouse gases, CH4 and N2O, by Electrabel’s

will take two years to complete.

power plants only make a small contribution to the total emissions in all sectors. The emitted quanti-

Ever decreasing air pollution

ties are mentioned in the environmental indicators

Since 1990, Electrabel has markedly reduced the

table (refer to pg. 57).

total SO2, NOx and dust emissions emitted by its production park, as well as the emissions per produced kilowatt-hour – for both the entire park and for the power stations stoked by fossil fuels (-85% to -95%). The speciﬁc emissions for the production park as a whole amounted to 55 milligrammes of SO2/kWh, 138 milligrammes of NOx/kWh and 6.6 milligrammes of dust/kWh in 2009. The values for the fossil-fuelled power stations were 166 milligrammes of SO2 /kWh, 413 milligrammes

Environmental policy agreement in Flanders

of NOx /kWh and 20 milligrammes of dust/kWh.

In 2004, the electricity sector and the Flemish Region entered into an agreement on reducing SO2 and NOx emissions from electricity power plants in Flanders for the period

Emissions per kWh generated by Electrabel’s fossil-fuelled generating facilities in Belgium

2005-2009. According to the agreement, by

1990 = 100

exist – the SO2 emissions had to drop by

NOx

SO2

2008 – the last year for which ofﬁcial ﬁgures 90% and that of NOx by 70%, compared to

Dust

1990. The reports on the 2005-2008 period

100

indicated that producers complied with their

90 80

commitments. In 2008, the emission reduc-

tions for SO2 and NOx amounted to 91% and

77% respectively (refer to page 27).

In 2009, the discussions between the par-

ties involved on the renewal of the agree-

30 20

16.1 4.6 4.1

10 0 90

26 | Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009

ment led to a new, modiﬁed agreement for the period 2010-2014 signed at the beginning of 2010.

TRUST IN RELIABLE EQUIPMENT 02

Environmental policy agreement in Flanders

recovered in its original state. As the for-

SO2 emissions by power stations

mer operator of the high voltage grid (till

in tonnes Emissions

station, a piece of polder area has been

2001), Electrabel planted green stepping

Objectives

stones around HV pylons and ﬁtted mark-

25 000

ers observable for birds on HV lines. The

20 000

company also cooperated in reintroducing

15 000

the peregrine falcon to Belgium. The FIR afﬁxed nesting boxes to power station

10 000

chimneys and cooling towers where these

5 000

birds of prey could breed successfully.

Since the start of the project in 1995, the 05

Electrabel power stations in Belgium have counted more than 300 peregrine falcon

NOx emissions by power stations

chicks. A similar project is under way in the

in tonnes

Netherlands. Emissions

Objectives

25 000

With the inclusion of the biodiversity

20 000

theme in its sustainable development plan,

15 000

Electrabel securely anchored this subject in its policy. It started to cooperate with

10 000

the nature organisations Natagora and

5 000

Natuurpunt to map the biodiversity value of its sites and to manage it appropriate-

0 05

ly. Stocktaking at Amercoeur and Ruien power stations was completed in 2009 and that of the Laborelec research centre in Linkebeek has reached its ﬁnal stage. This should lead to pilot projects for the protec-

The year of biodiversity

tion and recovery of biodiversity. The com-

2010 is the International Year of Biodiver-

pany has also undertaken to compensate

sity. For Electrabel, this theme is nothing

for the possible loss in biodiversity caused

new since over the past 10-15 years, the

by the installation of wind turbine farms.

company has taken a number of mea-

At Dour and Quévy, it has launched a study

sures to protect fauna and ﬂora. It has

to examine the impact of the wind turbine

installed barriers in the nuclear power sta-

park on the bird population.

tions to keep ﬁsh out of the water intake of the cooling water circuit; hydroelectric

Electrabel, moreover, continues to pro-

power plants have been ﬁtted with ﬁsh

mote awareness about this issue in coop-

ladders to allow migrating ﬁsh species to

eration with the nature conservation or-

pass through; near the Doel nuclear power

ganisations.

Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009 | 27

28 | Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009

STRENGTHENING THE BOND WITH THE CUSTOMER

• 5.6 million customers • 125 GWh energy sales • 350 000 green power customers • Tailor-made energy and CO2 savings

Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009 | 29

03.STRENGTHENING THE BOND WITH THE CUSTOMER Electricity and natural gas for 5.6 million customers

Electricity sales by Electrabel in Belgium in TWh – wholesale included 72.3

Electrabel sells electricity and natural gas to 5.6 mil-

70.0

68.9

lion residential customers, professionals, SMEs,

8.57

large companies and public institutions in Belgium. 40.51

The company’s market share ranges from between 54 to 91%, depending on the region.

19.86

Electrabel market share at the end of 2009, expressed in % of the total number of supply points

2007

2008

2009

source: CREG electricity

natural gas

Flanders

65.8%

68.1%

Wallonia

59.2%

53.9%

Brussels

90.8%

90.2%

Belgium

66.5%

68.2%

Natural gas sales by Electrabel in Belgium in TWh – wholesale included 57.3

58.7

55.8 2.00 15.74

38.04

The impact of the economic climate on sales volumes

2007

In 2009, the sales volumes in Belgium, including

2008

wholesale retail

wholesale sales, amounted to 68.9 TWh electric-

2009 business total

ity (29% retail, 59% business and 12% wholesale) and 55.8 TWh natural gas (68% retail, 28% business and 4% wholesale). The volumes sold depend economic climate which has a particular inﬂuence

Falling fuel prices are good for the energy bill

on the energy consumption of industrial custom-

Electricity prices for large Electrabel industrial cus-

ers, the severity of the winter months, as well as

tomers showed a slight increase of on average 1%

customers’ efforts to achieve rational energy con-

in 2009. They were still feeling the effects of the

sumption.

high prices on the international wholesale markets

on the size of the customer portfolio, the overall

in 2008, the point in time when supply contracts The drop in sales in 2009 (-1.6% for electricity and

were entered into or the price was ‘set’. Residential

-5% for natural gas) was mainly experienced in the

customers saw their total electricity bills drop by

business customer sector (-9.6% for electricity and

an average of about 8% due to lower fuel prices,

-7.7% for natural gas); for natural gas, sales also

despite the increased distribution network tariffs.

dropped amongst retail customers (-4.5%). These falls were partially compensated for by increased

For Electrabel’s industrial natural gas customers,

sales on wholesale markets.

the total price dropped by approximately 5% because of the drop in fuel prices in the second half

30 | Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009

Residential natural gas customers also experienced

Electrabel shops serve as new points of contact

a drop in price for the same reason (-15% on the to-

As part of its ‘multi-channel’ strategy to communi-

tal invoice), even though distribution network tariffs

cate with its customers, Electrabel opened its ﬁrst

increased here too.

‘Electrabel shop’ in Antwerp in September 2009

of 2008, which had its full effect from April 2009.

– and ﬁve thousand customers had come to visit A study published by the CREG, at the beginning

by the end of the ﬁrst ﬁve months. A second shop

of 2010, conﬁrmed this trend. For Electrabel’s resi-

opened in Brussels in February 2010 and a third fol-

dential customers, it reported an 18 to 26% fall in

lowed in Namur in June 2010. In the shops, where

the energy price for electricity – i.e. the share of the

visitors get to talk to Electrabel staff, customers

total price which is determined by the supplier, and

can ask questions about energy saving, heating and

which is independent of the distribution network

lighting applications, photovoltaic solar panels, the

tariffs − and of more than 40% for natural gas in

company’s range of products and services, info on

the 2008-2009 period.

moving house, bills, new contracts and after-sales assistance and services. The shops augment the company’s existing channels of communication,

Electricity and fuel market prices

such as the Energy Line (up to 16 000 telephone

January 2007 = 100

calls a day), the website (80 000 logins to the online energy desk a month), the forty points-of-contact

Coal (API#2) Oil (Brent IPE)

Electricity (baseload, Y+1) Natural gas (Grp)

in the branches of the Belgian Post Ofﬁce and the network of more than two thousand accredited Electrabel Partners.

250 200 150 100 50 01/07 07/07 01/08 07/08 01/09 07/09 01/10

Strengthening of the Contact Center The N-Allo Contact Center, which Electrabel has been developing since 1999 and in which it holds an 86% stake, is often the customer’s ﬁrst point of contact with the company. To strengthen its services, the contact center has increased the number of co-workers it employs by almost one ﬁfth since 2007. By the end of 2009, N-Allo (including its subsidiary Brucall) employed 1 130 members of staff as opposed to 957 at the end of 2007. In 2009 the contact center, which has grown to become one of the biggest in Belgium (with six locations across

Customer Care

the country), received 4.8 million calls.

In the two years since Electrabel named 2008 the

More efﬁcient processing of complaints

‘Year of the Customer’, the company has taken a

Electrabel sees every complaint as an opportu-

wide range of initiatives to improve services for its

nity to improve services and increase customer

customers and respond more efﬁciently to their

satisfaction. Feedback from the customer keeps

queries and complaints.

the company working on the continual improve-

Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009 | 31

03 STRENGTHENING THE BOND WITH THE CUSTOMER

The company has adapted to the deregulated energy market panies competing ﬁercely with each other, so as to keep one step ahead of them. The promotions and campaigns to distinguish the company from the competition are based directly on energy supplies tailored to the customer, whose consumption pattern is increasingly cost-conscious and ecologyminded. In fact, our customers have changed over the past

Martin Claes, Executive Manager Contact Center N-Allo

decade just as much as we have. They are increasingly at ease with the market model composed of suppliers and network operators, and they eagerly scan the various offers that they receive. Price and

Do you experience in practice that the energy landscape has changed?

quality of service clearly inﬂuence their choice, and

When young people nowadays get a present of

cussion forums in the social media indicate that

a ‘digital’ camera they wonder: why ‘digital’? For

customers are increasingly alert and ready to pun-

them, ‘digital’ is perfectly normal. I sometimes get

ish any shortcomings.

will continue to do so. The signals we get from dis-

the same impression now when I meet young employees in Marketing & Sales. I can see by the look

How do you see the future?

on their face that they wonder why we old-timers

We set up the N-Allo Contact Center ten years ago

insist on referring to the deregulated market. In the

as an Electrabel subsidiary, with the aim of helping

commercial environment in which they operate,

customers through all the teething troubles during

they consider anything else as belonging to the dim

the different stages of deregulation and making it

and distant past.

feasible and acceptable for them. We went through some testing times ourselves, merely with the un-

In the past ten years Electrabel has changed be-

bundling of the IT systems. It was an extremely

yond recognition, from a rather conservative utili-

difﬁcult period, but the determination to make a

ties company to a company that increasingly thinks

success of the partnership between the many oper-

and acts commercially; a remarkable effort that

atives on the N-Allo front line and the Marketing &

still is not at its end. The fact that we belong to

Sales back ofﬁces ensured that we are now on the

one of the world’s largest groups has accelerated

right road. Our customer service is getting better

this ongoing process.

every day, and the marketeers are now much more familiar with the practical needs of the market. In

We frequently read that the deregulated market only exists on paper. Does it?

combination with strict control of the cost structure

Do we really have a free market? Is there true

the challenging years that lie ahead of us. That’s the

competition spurring us to think even more com-

real Electrabel optimism that I come across in so

mercially? We frequently do indeed hear questions

many of our colleagues, who look forward eagerly

such as this; and from political circles, often with

to the future and reassure customers about their

reproaches towards the ‘incumbents’ of this world.

energy choice!

this will enable us to look forward with optimism to

Today’s marketing & sales job brings the most practical possible answer to this question. Electrabel’s Marketing & Sales department keeps a close watch on the increasing number of small and large com-

32 | Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009

STRENGTHENING THE BOND WITH THE CUSTOMER 03

ment of its processes for complaints processing. The company has greatly improved its accessibility by recruiting new operators to its N-Allo Contact Center and the back ofﬁces. It has also introduced greater autonomy to the contact center, as a result of which complaints regarding topics such as collections, bills and changes of supplier can largely be dealt with directly by the customer advisors at N-Allo. Electrabel has also put in place a process for fast-tracking and dealing with complaints received

General satisfaction of the Electrabel customer (% of customers who are satisfied, very satisfied or extremely satisfied) 100 95 90 85

through external channels such as the Federal Public Services, regulators and consumer organisations

or through its own personnel.

07 Q

08 Q

08 1

09 Q

09 4

09 1

10 20

In 2009, the company received 55 000 complaints, of which 41% came in by telephone, 26% via the

Informing the customer

website, 26% by letter or fax, 4% through Electrabel

In 2009, Electrabel used a variety of channels to

Partners and 3% by email. 63% of these com-

provide information for its customers. Its website,

plaints related to billing. The company responded to

www.electrabel.be, contains everything there is

72% of the complaints within a period of one week.

to know on the services, products and price plans offered by the company, as well as many practical

9 in 10 customers satisﬁed

tools for reducing energy consumption, checking

Electrabel continuously gauges its customers’ sat-

bills, satisfying administrative formalities… In 2009,

isfaction to see if the company is meeting their

the website had 4.1 million visitors.

needs and expectations and, if necessary, make changes to its services. Speciﬁcally, customers are

Electrabel also launched a series of radio spots

able to express their satisfaction on a scale from

which gave objective information on the workings

extremely satisﬁed to unsatisﬁed, with a few levels

of the natural gas and electricity market and antic-

in between. Over the 2007-2009 period, on aver-

ipated the kinds of questions which customers ask.

age, nine out of ten retail and business customers

The spots explained the bill, the indexed or ﬁxed

said that they were satisﬁed with the company in

price, the ﬁxed monthly fee and the price of elec-

general.

tricity.

Besides measuring general satisfaction, the com-

Specialised magazines, designed to suit customer

pany looks at customer satisfaction in areas such

proﬁles (Energiek! / Énergique! for residential cus-

as services, price and product range among others.

tomers (circulation 4.5 million), Energiek onderne-

All the parameters are grouped together in the cus-

men/Entreprendre avec énergie for professionals

tomer satisfaction index (CSI), which is one of the

and SMEs, and Energy News for large businesses

main key performance indicators routinely moni-

and public institutions) and the electronic newslet-

tored by the company. The CSI index is designed

ters which the company distributed freely on sev-

to provide an immediate identiﬁcation of any new

eral occasions in the course of 2009 provided an

trend. This allows the company to respond quickly

extra source of practical information.

if a signiﬁcant fall in satisfaction is measured in one or more parameters.

Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009 | 33

03 STRENGTHENING THE BOND WITH THE CUSTOMER

Tailoring the offer to the needs of the customer

Examples of Electrabel’s energy and environment services

Electrabel offers its customers a range of services consisting of energy packages, energy saving (refer

• Check-up Call: an energy expert

to page 35), generating low carbon energy at home

discusses by phone the trend and the

(refer to page 35) and using green power (refer to

optimisation of the customer’s energy

page 36). The company is constantly tailoring its

consumption

range to the needs of customers and new developments in the marketplace.

• Check-up Visit: an energy expert detects and photographs strong and weak aspects of installations and gives advice

In 2009, Electrabel carried out a study of customer attitudes to sustainable development. It surveyed 3 900 of its biggest customers on this subject – 15% responded. Almost seven in ten companies stated that they were currently implementing sus-

on how to save energy • CO2 tool: calculate the annual CO2 emission of the family online and get tips for improvement • Consumption meter: follow

tainable development or wished to do so in the

consumption online month-by-month,

future and 74% of the big companies considered

indicate the required savings and

Electrabel as a potential partner in their plans.

compare consumption with that of a comparable household and home

Electrabel also developed a number of new prod-

• Energy Audit: an expert drops by to ana-

ucts for its residential customers to help install a

lyse the household’s energy consumption

photovoltaic system. PV Guide helps customers choose a system (refer to page 36) and PV Comfort

and to offer customised solutions • Energy Explorer: easy access to invoice

deals with regular servicing and cleaning of the in-

details for all sites to facilitate energy

stallation. There is a special PV Support service for

budget management

professional customers with installations between 10 kW and 100 kW, which provides advice about

• Energy Kronos: monitor energy consumption accurately and efﬁciently

managing green power certiﬁcates among other

online by means of reports and graphs

things. The company has also developed a new tool

• Energy Viewer: check trends in billing

to help customers calculate their annual savings

data at a glance

when switching from oil to natural gas or when re-

• Home Optimizer: discover online which

placing their old gas boiler. This initiative was part of

habits and equipment use energy exces-

a campaign which Electrabel set up in late 2009 to

sively and, consequently, do not permit

inform customers about the beneﬁts of natural gas.

savings; identify the most important measures that will make a difference

These new services augment the broad range of

• Photo Scan: an energy expert carries

energy and environment services which the com-

out a photographic analysis of the

pany already provides.

energy applications and sets out speciﬁc recommendations for enhanced energy control.

34 | Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009

STRENGTHENING THE BOND WITH THE CUSTOMER 03

Electrabel also took part in an initiative to advise

Saving energy 100 000 times

starters and young entrepreneurs when setting up

In 2008 and 2009, Electrabel supplied almost

a business. In 2009, the company joined forces with

2 000 energy savings products to industrial clients

ING, Belgacom and Systemat to set up the Start

and SMEs, in particular Photo Scan and Check-up

Your Business non-proﬁt organisation. The website

Visit. In 2009, 3 700 industrial clients visited the

www.startyourbusiness.be focuses on speciﬁc re-

online energy management tools Energy Kronos,

quirements and offers, besides workshops, man-

Energy Viewer and Energy Explorer 30 000 times,

agement tools, information sessions…, the best

an increase of 35% compared to 2008. Electrabel

commercial deals on the market.

entered into a ﬁrst Energy Savings Partnership (ESP) with the Van de Velde company which will be

With the speciﬁc aim of selling energy and energy

ﬁnalised in 2010. The purpose of an ESP is to estab-

services to Key Accounts in Europe, GDF SUEZ

lish possible energy savings at the customer’s site

launched the GDF SUEZ Global Energy brand. GDF

and to help him to implement them in practice.

SUEZ Global Energy provides custom solutions which meet speciﬁc energy requirements and ad-

In 2009, Electrabel and its competence centre

dress the priorities of these customers. Due to the

Laborelec helped about ﬁfty customers to identify

global supply of natural gas and electricity they can

electric and thermal solutions with which energy

beneﬁt, for example, from custom offers for multi-

savings of between 2% and 15% can be made.

sites and supplies in different countries, thereby

This was achieved in the context of the Flemish

optimising their energy consumption.

Region’s audit covenant, which is open to industrial companies that want to improve their energy efﬁciency and whose primary energy consumption is

Energy savings

between 0.1 and 0.5 PJ/year. 73 000 residential and professional customers also

TOGETHER FOR LESS CO2 Helping customers to reduce their energy consumption.

Electrabel helps its customers to limit their energy consumption and expenditures and therefore in reducing their carbon footprint. The company offers a series of energy services whereby consumption can be reduced, tracked and managed. The customer will ﬁnd a summary of the services on

made use of energy-saving products, in 2009 (Energy Audit, Check-up Call, online web tools).

Own energy production using low carbon fuels TOGETHER FOR LESS CO2

Working together with customers so that they generate their own environmentally friendly energy.

www.electrabel.be and can use a number of them online. Electrabel makes available the knowledge and expertise it gained from the operation of its production park to customers who opt for their own

Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009 | 35

03 STRENGTHENING THE BOND WITH THE CUSTOMER

environmentally friendly installations to produce

system using fuel oil, an estimated 148 000 tonnes

electricity or heat.

of CO2 emissions per year can be avoided.

426 MW at industrial customers The company has a long tradition of building energy

Going for green energy

plants emitting little or no CO2 in cooperation with and on site at its industrial and professional customers. This allows them to use the energy thus

TOGETHER FOR LESS CO2

generated to reduce their carbon footprint and their energy bill. In 2008 and 2009, Electrabel entered

Providing customers with 100% green certified electricity, produced using renewable energy sources.

into an agreement with ﬁfteen industrial customers for the development of new projects (wind energy, photovoltaic plants and combined heat and power) for a total capacity of 42 MW and CO2 savings of 95 kilotonnes per year. It also signed a partnership agreement with Bekaert to study the options for local electricity production at the Bekaert sites, for example, building a wind farm in Zwevegem.

Electrabel is the largest producer and supplier of green energy in Belgium. It has a speciﬁc green

Close cooperation with the customer also leads

energy offer for every customer category – a detailed

to the development of sizeable industrial projects

description of this can be found on the website

such as the new Knippegroen power station at

www.electrabel.be.

ArcelorMittal (Sidmar) in Ghent (305 MW) and the combined heat and power units at Lanxess Rubber

Electrabel and the GDF SUEZ Group’s own produc-

(58 MW) and Evonik Degussa (21 MW) in the Port

tion means with renewable energy sources (419 MW

of Antwerp.

in Belgium and as much as 6 000 MW in Europe as a whole), allow the company to supply customers

700 times solar energy and 90 000 times natural gas for retail customers

with large quantities of green power.

At the beginning of 2009, Electrabel launched the service PV Guide providing technical, ﬁnancial and

Certiﬁed Belgian green power for 350 000 customers

practical information for its retail customers want-

By the end of 2009, 321 000 households, as well

ing to install photovoltaic solar panels, helping them

as 33 000 professional customers had opted for

to evaluate their project and to make the correct

a GreenPlus or Professional Green contract from

choice. In 2009, 700 customers subscribed to this

Electrabel. These products comprise the supply of

service.

power originating from 100% renewable energy, produced 100% by Electrabel in Belgium. Every

Electrabel provides natural gas to almost two mil-

year, the independent institution Vinçotte validates

lion customers in Belgium. The company informs

the origin and the volumes of the green power to

prospective customers about the advantages of

be supplied (refer to pg. 65).

this energy source for heating. Over the 2008-2009 period, Electrabel recorded 90 000 new natural gas

The company offers AlpEnergie, 100% green power

connections of which 74 000 were for heating for its

originating from the GDF SUEZ Group’s hydroelec-

residential clients. Compared with a classic heating

tric power plants in France, of which the origin is

36 | Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009

STRENGTHENING THE BOND WITH THE CUSTOMER 03

certiﬁed by the Technischer Überwachungs-Verein

600 000 kilometres on CNG

(TÜV), to its industrial customers and public organi-

In 2009, Electrabel started discussions with ﬁfteen

sations. In 2009, Electrabel sold 3.2 TWh under the

customers to investigate whether their company

AlpEnergie label in Belgium, spread over 1 100 con-

car ﬂeet could switch over to Compressed Natural

tracts, an increase of 39% compared to 2008.

Gas – CNG. A ﬁrst agreement was entered into

This quantity represented approximately 8% of

with the DHL company. Electrabel shall invest in

total electricity sales to business customers.

natural gas (slow) ﬁlling stations for the supply of a ﬂeet of company vehicles at this customer’s site.

Sales of green power by Electrabel in Belgium In 2008, Electrabel opened three public natural gas

2009

2008

Residential contracts

321 000

98 000

Professional contracts

33 000

3 500

a total of 37 000 kilogrammes of compressed natu-

3.2 TWh

2.3 TWh

ral gas at the three stations. This fuel consumption

Volume AlpEnergie

ﬁlling stations in Antwerp, Bruges and Mechelen. In 2009, ten ﬂeet owners and private customers used

corresponds to an estimated travelling distance of The capacity of its own production means using

622 000 kilometres.

renewable energy sources is still insufﬁcient to cover the ever growing industrial customer

First trial projects using electric vehicles

demand for green power. Electrabel therefore also

Electrabel also participates in programmes to de-

buys green power on the market with guarantees

velop electric vehicles. Because of the low CO2

of origin.

emissions of its production park – 202 grammes of CO2/kWh −, it holds an important trump card for their supply.

Driving on electricity or natural gas

In 2009, with the Ford Genk constructor and the Green Propulsion company in Liège, Electrabel started a research project to convert a Ford Mondeo

TOGETHER FOR LESS CO2

Break to a plug-in hybrid vehicle mainly running on

Encourage mobility using natural gas and electricity.

gas or petrol. The ﬁrst prototype is expected in the

electricity, but also able to switch over to natural summer of 2010. It was also decided to build an electric fast-recharging station and a slow-recharging station at Cofely Services, another company of GDF SUEZ, to test

Electrabel encourages the use and development of

the recharging of customers’ electrical utility vehi-

vehicles running on electricity or natural gas. The

cles in practice. Electrabel is also planning a project

company takes initiatives with and on behalf of its

involving its own staff to gain experience in using

customers and is working on an internal plan for

hybrid and electric vehicles at home and at work.

sustainable mobility, aimed at the use of cleaner means of transport and reducing the number of trips made by its employees (refer to pg. 42).

Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009 | 37

38 | Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009

02 04

VERTROUWEN OP PURSUING VERWORVEN KENNIS AN EXEMPLARY FUNCTION

• 7 500 collaborators • Almost 8 000 tonnes less CO2 LOREM IPSUM 70 % • R&I as a driving force Itas aut hillandit ethart rerlendis • A company with a Aliqui am faciliq uidebi ofﬁcipit eolps modis....

Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009 | 39

04.PURSUING AN EXEMPLARY FUNCTION Transparency and dialogue with stakeholders

NGOs… The ﬁrst meeting of the Board, which will meet twice a year, is planned for September 2010. The Board will focus on the evaluation of the results and the strategic direction of Electrabel in regard to

TOGETHER FOR LESS CO2

sustainable development.

Ensuring a transparent dialogue with stakeholders.

Customised information and communication The company decided to adjust its Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009 – Electrabel has published an annual environmental report and/

Due to the nature of its activities, Electrabel has

or an activities report since 1995 – based on the

close ties with its stakeholders, remaining in con-

Global Reporting Initiative principles and to take the

stant contact with them. It wants to keep them in-

ﬁrst steps towards external validation (see page 53).

formed in regard to achievements, in particular in the area of sustainable development. In 2009, the

Electrabel also launched an electronic newsletter

company embarked on numerous new initiatives in

that informs its stakeholders – subscribing is pos-

this regard.

sible on the website www.electrabel.be/duurzaam – a number of times a year on the results and the

Advisory committee and board kicking off

initiatives of its plan Together for less CO2.

Electrabel established a Scientiﬁc Advisory Committee consisting of representatives of the Belgian and

In addition to these new initiatives, Electrabel

international academic world. In addition to man-

continued, in 2009, with the actions it had already

agers from GDF SUEZ, Electrabel and Laborelec,

commenced with to maintain dialogue with its

professors from various universities in Belgium, the

stakeholders:

Netherlands and the United Kingdom serve on this

• 16 000 interested parties visited one of its elec-

Committee.

tric power plants; • The Doel nuclear power station had three meet-

The purpose of the Committee is to identify devel-

ings with the consultation group (klankbordraad)

opments in the area of energy technology in the

consisting of residents from the area around the

medium to long run and to identify the areas requir-

power station and it distributed four issues of

ing further research. The Committee met twice in

Doel Bewust, its external information magazine;

2009, when it dealt with themes such as the efﬁ-

• The Tihange nuclear power station had three

ciency of biomass, energy storage, CO2 valorisation

meetings with the ‘Comité de riverains’ consisting

in addition to Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)

of residents from the area close to the power

and low-grade energy recuperation.

station and it distributed three issues of Tihange Contact, its external information magazine;

Electrabel also took the ﬁrst steps in setting up a

• Electrabel has begun a project to modernise the

Sustainable Development Advisory Board consist-

visitor centres at Doel, Tihange and Coo power

ing of members from universities, employers’ or-

plants, with a view to offering guests a better

ganisations, trade unions, consumer organisations,

welcome and enhanced information;

40 | Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009

• The Doel and Tihange nuclear power stations, in

We practice what we preach

the ambit of their EMAS-registration, published an Environmental declaration reﬂecting the environmental achievements of the power stations in

TOGETHER FOR LESS CO2

detail (refer to page 67); • Ruien power station organised an open day to

Reducing by 21% the CO2 emissions originating from the staff’s daily activities.

explain its environmental activities – ﬂue gas puriﬁcation, biomass, transport; • Electrabel had about twenty information meetings to inform the local population on its plans to build wind farms; • The new CCGT-Amercoeur, Knippegroen and Max Green construction projects were also heav-

In 2007, the daily activities of Electrabel employees

ily publicised.

carrying out their work – other than the production of electricity – generated emissions of 43 000

Problem reporting, dealing with complaints

nal action plan focuses on energy consumption

Electrabel internal procedures require that the au-

in buildings and procurement and mobility policy

thorities are informed when any accident takes

with a view to reducing annual emissions by 9 000

place at the electric power plants that has an im-

tonnes or by 21% by end 2010.

tonnes of CO2 in Belgium. The company’s inter-

portant environmental impact. The company also investigates and replies to every complaint, and,

18% of the 21% savings already achieved

where necessary, takes the appropriate measures.

In 2009, the company embarked on numerous new

In 2009, 192 ofﬁcial complaints (and ﬁve warn-

initiatives in each of the three areas. Combined with

ings) were formulated, of which 189 were repeti-

the efforts already under way, these led to a reduc-

tive complaints about certain wind farms. Besides,

tion in CO2 emissions of 5 262 tonnes − so effective

there were around ﬁfty non-ofﬁcial complaints, in

that, by the end of 2009, a reduction of 12.3% was

particular from local parties – in some cases, a spe-

reached. In addition, an extra saving of more than

cial telephone number has been allocated for this

2 600 tonnes already set for 2010 will bring the total

purpose.

reduction to 18.5%.

15 level 1 events on the International Nuclear Event

Low-energy buildings

Scale (INES scale) occurred at the Doel and Tihange

The installation of photovoltaic panels, the regula-

nuclear power stations in 2009. Electrabel published

tion of heating at a lower temperature and a green

a press release concerning each of these events,

power supply were supplemented in 2009 by

none of which had any inﬂuence on the well-being

night-time inspections to identify any wasted en-

and the health of employees, neighbours, the envi-

ergy and the installation of the Enerlution Kronos

ronment, or the operation of the installations.

energy management tool in some buildings. This tool tracks the energy consumption in detail and allows the detection of problem areas. Electrabel also took an important step to reduce the energy

Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009 | 41

04 PURSUING AN EXEMPLARY FUNCTION

consumption of its IT equipment. A Green Mode

Electrabel, amongst other things, introduced a new

application ensures that the screen and hard disc

car policy whereby employees opting for environ-

of PCs and laptops automatically switches off after

mentally friendly cars can spend an extra mobil-

a few minutes of inactivity. Energy-guzzling screen

ity budget on the purchase of, for example, a(n)

savers were also rejected.

(electric) bicycle. Electrabel also includes more and more environmentally friendly (hybrid) vehicles

Sustainable procurement

in its range of lease cars. Thanks to these meas-

The CO2 savings in procurement are a result of a

ures, the average emissions of the lease car ﬂeet

reduction in paper use and the choice to use re-

dropped from 161 grammes of CO2/km in 2007 to

cycled paper – it should be noted that, since 2009,

152 grammes of CO2 /km by the end of 2009. The

all the paper used by Electrabel carries the FSC

average emissions from leased cars ordered after

label. In 2009, certiﬁed paper consisting of 30%

the introduction of the mobility budget (July 2008)

recycled ﬁbres was introduced for copiers and the

totalled 137 grammes CO2/km.

company’s new staff magazine is printed on 60% recycled paper. Electrabel also decided to print its

The company also launched the green car switch

magazine Energiek! / Énergique! − intended for

initiative whereby personnel with a lease vehicle

residential users in Belgium and 4.5 million copies

emitting more than 175 grammes of CO2 per km

of which are circulated − on 100% recycled paper

are invited to choose an environmentally friendly

as from 2010. This will lead to emission savings of

car before the end of the contract.

2 655 tonnes of CO2/year. Furthermore, by the end of 2010, the company will The company also signed an agreement with FSC

have a ﬂeet of 25 bi-fuel company vehicles (petrol/

Belgium, thereby conﬁrming its commitment to

CNG) used for service transport. The ﬁrst twelve

responsible and rational paper use and sustainably

were commissioned in March 2010. Electrabel ex-

managed production forests.

amines the installation of natural gas ﬁlling stations at some of its sites for the refuelling of these ve-

Furthermore, it compiled a catalogue with sustain-

hicles.

able ofﬁce equipment with 2 300 products complying with sustainable criteria.

Internal CO2 emissions in tonnes/year 2007

2009

2010 target

Buildings

6 361

5 801

5 561

Procurement

8 852

5 822*

6 252

Mobility

27 537

23 210

21 937

Total

42 750

34 833 (-18.5%)

33 750 (-21%)

Cleaner mobility A reduction in CO2 emissions linked to mobility was ensured mainly because of a reduction in commuting by car and, to a lesser extent, in air travel. The numerous initiatives initiated by Electrabel for cleaner mobility have not gone unnoticed either. The company was ranked in third place in the Business

* This ﬁgure already includes a saving of 2 655 tonnes to be achieved in 2010

Mobility Awards 2009. This is awarded by the Flemish Trafﬁc Association and the Mobility Institute of the University of Hasselt to companies or organisations taking sustainable mobility measures for their staff, customers or suppliers.

42 | Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009

PURSUING AN EXEMPLARY FUNCTION 04

Mobilising employees, an absolute requirement

participants have to save as much energy at home

In 2009, Electrabel devoted considerable attention

35% less energy. Electrabel also held information

to promoting awareness and mobilising staff, as

sessions on a group offer for the installation of pho-

well as establishing a sustainable development cul-

tovoltaic panels. 900 staff registered, of which 15%

ture in the organisation. Employee involvement is,

requested a quotation from one or more suppliers.

above all, essential in achieving its objectives.

And Electrabel, as main sponsor of the second edi-

as possible. In 2009, the winners managed to use

tion of the exhibition This is our Earth! on sustainIn 2009, practically every week, the internal in-

able development, organised various visits to this

formation channels spent time working on the

exhibition for its staff and other stakeholders.

Together for less CO2 plan to ensure that employees are kept up to date with results and initiatives. Electrabel also launched an internal SD newsletter

Research & Innovation

and developed an SD scorecard which is updated twice a year to allow management to closely fol-

TOGETHER FOR LESS CO2

low the company’s position with regard to its objectives. Furthermore, it designed an educational

10.

Stimulate Research & Development on new technologies.

programme on sustainable development together with GDF SUEZ University. Electrabel also introduced a CO2 indicator that contributed 10% to the determination of the annual bonus for (a part of) the staff. The CO2 emissions linked to energy consumption in the buildings and

Research & Innovation form the basis of new

the use of printing paper formed the basis of these

energy-efﬁcient

calculations.

technologies. GDF SUEZ Group’s extensive re-

and

environmentally

friendly

search experience makes it possible to offer In 2009, employees were successfully encouraged

innovative, often complex and integrated solu-

to participate in organisations promoting the use of

tions for energy issues and climate challenges. By

bicycles and other environmentally friendly means

the end of 2009, 1 200 employees were active in

of transport (European mobility week, Dring Dring,

9 Group research centres. In Belgium, Laborelec,

Bike To Work). In total, they completed more than

Electrabel’s technical and scientiﬁc competence

30 000 sustainable kilometres. Electrabel switched

centre, had 246 employees.

the heating in its ofﬁce buildings a degree lower during the annual Thick Jersey day and, with the

Energy efﬁciency and clean technology

Fairtrade@work-action and Bioweek, it opted for

GDF SUEZ Group’s Research & Innovation pro-

the use of fair-trade and local and organically culti-

gramme, contributes to sustainable development in

vated products in the company’s canteens.

two ways: energy efﬁciency in the broadest sense of the word and non-polluting technologies.

Creating awareness amongst employees is not limited to behaviour at the workplace but also in their

Apart from new technology for energy recupera-

private life. The company organised the Electrabel

tion and decentralised production (Organic Rankine

RUE Trophy for the third time, where, for six months,

Cycle, heat and cold storage, trigeneration…),

Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009 | 43

04 PURSUING AN EXEMPLARY FUNCTION

smart grids and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)

Universities, partners in research

are two of the most important future-oriented and

In 2009, Electrabel has supported research at vari-

innovative research areas.

ous Belgian universities; for instance research at the Université catholique de Louvain (UCL) on pa-

Smart grids are ingenious energy systems enabling

leoclimatology. Laborelec – with the cooperation of

a ﬂexible management of the energy demand and

universities – installed two heat pump installations

production. A completely operational system was

in individual’s homes to measure their yield in real

conditions over a full winter season.

Elisabeth research station in Antarctica in 2009. Laborelec is also participating in a trial project using

The company is also developing a general collabora-

smart grids in the Mechelen area.

tion strategy regarding the relations with the main Belgian universities. This strategy aims at promot-

Electrabel, amongst other things via Laborelec, is

ing research & innovation (R&I) in areas of strategic

involved in various GDF SUEZ Group CCS research

interest for the Group and to act towards this stake-

projects. In 2009, the company, in cooperation with

holder group as a socially responsible company.

E.ON, submitted a demonstration project to the European Union (via the European EEPR Fund) for

In this context Electrabel is in advanced negotia-

the annual capture of 1.1 million tonnes of CO2 at

tion with many of the main Belgian universities of

E.ON’s new coal power station on the Maasvlakte

frame conventions. Within these, the company is

in Rotterdam and the transportation and storage

developing dedicated research and collaboration

thereof in gas ﬁelds under the North Sea. The

projects. They cover areas such as energy poverty,

project should be operational by the end of 2015.

sociological and psychological aspects of wind farm

Europe and the Dutch authorities have agreed to

projects, energy efﬁciency of buildings, green mo-

subsidise the project.

bility, potential of new biomass fuels, combustion process optimisation and social behaviour of domes-

The importance the Group attaches to this technol-

tic customers regarding the rational use of energy.

ogy, that could be decisive for the future of coal powered stations in the long run, was also emphatically confirmed in the protocol agreement entered into between GDF SUEZ and the Belgian State on the extension of the operations period of nuclear power stations (refer to pg. 8). In this, the Group stated that research and innovation − specifically in regard to new technologies − shall be continued and that an important part of the Laborelec research budget of the next few years shall be spent on Carbon Capture and Storage and energy-efficient technologies for industry and individuals. 5 million euros shall also be earmarked per year for the support of nuclear research institutes.

44 | Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009

PURSUING AN EXEMPLARY FUNCTION 04

An active and responsible employer

Staff numbers of Electrabel in Belgium in active service – subsidiaries included

Electrabel fulﬁlls an important role as a direct and Women Men

indirect employer in Belgium. The company implements an active recruitment policy in order to ensure, in a timely manner, the replacement and knowledge transfer of the employees who will reach pensionable age in the coming years, to man

2 414

2 457

5 134

4 990

2008

2009

new power stations and to support the GDF SUEZ Group’s activities. The Group, furthermore, is committed to recruiting more than 10 000 people in Belgium by 2015.

12% new employees By the end of 2009, Electrabel had 7 447 employees in Belgium (its Belgian subsidiaries included). Despite the bad general economic climate, the company recruited 893 new employees. Job seekers can search for vacant positions on www.electrabel.be/career

Age structure of Electrabel’s staff in Belgium in active service end of 2009 – subsidiaries included

and apply online. >55

30.5% of the staff had a supervisory function, 33% were female and almost 29% were younger

50-54

than 30 years. The net reduction in the staff count

45-49

in 2009 (-101) is a consequence of the transfer of

40-44

169 employees to E.ON due to the transfer of the

35-39

Langerlo and Vilvoorde power stations (see pg. 8). Electrabel, without its subsidiaries, had 6 044 employees of which 50.5% were in production, 27.2% in sales, 4.7% in trading and 17.6% in support

30-34 25-29 <25 0

300

600

900

1 200

1 500

services.

Taking charge of personal development Electrabel offers its employees considerable opportunities to complete customised training courses and to take up new positions to shape and improve their career. In 2009, 560 000 hours of technical and general training were followed in Belgium and 50% of the vacant positions were ﬁlled internally. Internal mobility is not restricted to Belgium, but covers the entire GDF SUEZ Group of 200 000 employees.

Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009 | 45

04 PURSUING AN EXEMPLARY FUNCTION

Staff can also participate in the improvement of

– which covers the period 2010-2015. This builds

their

purpose,

on the many efforts already made in the area of

Electrabel launched the Well-being at Work project

technological and organisational management, and

in 2006, which led to several measures, suggested

focuses on the improvement of human conduct in

by the employees themselves. The implementation

risk situations.

working

conditions.

For

this

of these also continued at corporate and local levels in 2009: reservations of crèche positions for chil-

The policy’s effectiveness can be seen clearly in the

dren of staff, launching of ironing services at the

values of safety indicators. The rates of frequency

ofﬁce, free fruit…

and severity of work accidents over the last few decades have shown a continuous improvement.

Safety at work, always a priority

In 2009, they amounted to 2.36 and 0.07 respec-

Health and safety issues within Electrabel are man-

tively – as opposed to 20.46 and 0.44 in 1995 − and

aged at the highest level of the GDF SUEZ Energy

comply with the predetermined objectives of 2.50

Benelux & Germany business area. The Health &

and 0.08. The new 2010-2015 prevention plan must

Safety/Nuclear Safety department reports directly

allow for these results to be further consolidated

to the CEO of the business area and to the Gen-

and evolve towards the ultimate ambition of zero

eral Manager of the Electrabel s.a.

casualty.

Electrabel’s Health and Safety at work policy is

Special attention was focused on the ﬂu virus

based on the principle of constant improvement

threat A/H1N1 (Mexican ﬂu) in 2009. Electrabel, the

and it is implemented by means of prevention

Energy Benelux & Germany business area and the

plans. In 2009, the company drafted its fourth Glob-

entire GDF SUEZ Group, have been closely watch-

al Prevention Plan – the ﬁrst plan dates from 1995

ing the situation. A working group was established to draw up a detailed action plan in case a pandemic should occur. The priority was a double one: looking after the health of employees and their families

Safety indicators Electrabel (Belgium)

and, at the same time, ensuring the continuity of

subsidiaries not included

activities. Sr

Information on the safety of its nuclear power sta-

0.6 0.5

tions, which is a top priority for Electrabel because of the speciﬁc problem of radioactivity, is included

0.4

in the chapter ‘An important year for nuclear power stations’ (refer to pg. 18).

0.3 0.2 0.1

07 09 08

0.0 25

0 Fr

Sr: Severity rate (number of days of absence per thousand hours worked) Fr: Frequency rate (number of loss time accidents per million hours worked)

46 | Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009

PURSUING AN EXEMPLARY FUNCTION 04

Actively developing talents to address the energy challenges of tomorrow press them with determination. And those qualities can also be found in candidates with an unconventional proﬁle or an original background. Furthermore, fewer applicants completely fulﬁl our requirements these days, which is why we employ candidates with potential, train them internally and offer them the opportunity to develop throughout their career.

Pierre Devillers, Human Resources Manager Benelux & Germany

How exactly do you do that? Through a variety of projects and several training and development courses. For example, we have

Competition between companies on the labour market is stiff, and certain skills are becoming scarce. So, why choose Electrabel?

set up a rehabilitation project geared for young-

Because addressing the energy challenges of today

en Beroepsopleiding – Flemish Service for Em-

and tomorrow constitutes a daily challenge, and be-

ployment and Vocational Training), we also focus

cause energy businesses are both fascinating and

on motivated candidates, who possess the techni-

meaningful. Furthermore, our positioning, as well

cal ability but do not have a speciﬁc qualiﬁcation.

as that of GDF SUEZ Group to which we belong, is

It is a way to give them a good start, by offering

based on a very particular formula: making energy

them an apprenticeship involving a theoretical and

accessible to everyone, everywhere, guaranteeing

practical course leading to the equivalent of a de-

a lasting supply at a reasonable price, while reduc-

gree in the ﬁelds we are interested in.

sters who, for various reasons, have veered away from the labour market. With the assistance of the VDAB (Vlaamse Dienst voor Arbeidsbemiddeling

ing our impact on the environment. A formula that who we position at the heart of all of our consid-

So basically, you are creating your own talent pool?

erations. Thanks to their skills, we can and want to

Exactly! Within the framework of the project in

make a difference.

question, in 2007 we selected 20 candidates to be

is possible thanks to our talents, our employees,

put through internal training courses. By the end,

The challenges depend on an ambitious formula, do they not?

18 of them clearly had the technical ability ‘in their

Yes, but it is in keeping with the commitments

years later, in 2009, they had joined our operational

that we make towards society – a way to reafﬁrm

teams at work in Doel nuclear power plant. Follow-

the fundamental role Electrabel plays in the life of

ing the project’s success, 12 other candidates also

each individual, community or company, and which

began in 2009 with the same future prospects, fol-

holds every one of our employees to account.

lowing technical training programmes with a view

bones’, and the will to seize the opportunity. Two

to changing course. This is just one example amid

Will your ideal candidate be an idealist?

many, but it illustrates our philosophy and our will

There is no ‘ideal candidate’. On the contrary, it

in this area.

is the diversity of the applicants, the myriad of talents and, equally as important, the manner in which they work together, that constitute the company’s wealth. No ‘idealists’, either, but rather resolute men and women who share our values (drive, commitment, daring, cohesion) and ex-

Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009 | 47

04 PURSUING AN EXEMPLARY FUNCTION

Social involvement

• sport: integration and personal development through sport of children in difficulties.

The commitment of the GDF SUEZ Group and Electrabel in the area of the Socially Responsible

632 new blood donors

Enterprise, entails sponsorship and social develop-

The spontaneous support that Electrabel lent to

ment in addition to sustainable development. From

two particular actions at the beginning of 2010

the central role in society which it fulﬁls as energy

also illustrates its social commitment. The com-

producer and supplier, Electrabel wants to contribute

pany threw itself behind the Red Cross’s national

to the welfare of the community in which it is active.

campaign, Give Blood give life in January. Thanks to 632 new registrations as blood donors – a little

Sponsorship policy in evolution

more than 10% of the staff,

Electrabel’s sponsorship policy is an expression of

the purpose of the venture

its values and an illustration of the social responsi-

– Electrabel was awarded

bility it has taken on. In 2009, the company again

the label Company with a

supported many institutions and organisations in

heart!.

Belgium focusing on the integration of the underprivileged in society and on nature and environmental protection, including:

The GDF SUEZ Group and Electrabel also mobilised their employees to support those affected by

• Beau Vélo de Ravel: participation of the visually handicapped in cycling events; • Cap’Ten: promoting at school enterprise spirit among children aged 10 to 13; • Cap48: raising awareness of the problems relating to the readmission of handicapped persons to

the earthquake in Haiti. The amounts donated by the employees to humanitarian organisations and NGOs were matched by the company. In Belgium this involved HAITI LAVI 12-12, Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières), Red Cross Belgium and Energy Assistance.

society; • École et surdité: integration of students with impaired hearing in ordinary education; • Natuurpunt and Natagora: raising awareness concerning biodiversity.

Electrabel staff members were also active on site within Energy Assistance, an association established in 2001 by employees of the GDF SUEZ Group. The members voluntarily participate globally in humanitarian projects involving energy. They

In 2009, the company redeﬁned its policy to fully

offer their knowledge to communities in the third

align it with that of GDF SUEZ. In the course of

world to help them gain access to essential energy

2010, it will further shape the new policy which will

products and resources. In 2009, 19 projects were

in future be based on four pillars:

completed by Energy Assistance and 40 volunteers worked 649 days.

• solidarity and integration: assistance to children in need and to associations aimed at social integration and support of the weakest; • culture: upgrading the cultural heritage, with a focus on music; • environment: protection and conservation of the environment;

48 | Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009

PURSUING AN EXEMPLARY FUNCTION 04

Improving employment opportunities

In 2009, 73% of the new Corporate sales contracts

The GDF SUEZ Group also helps groups of persons

and 76% of the new Generation sales contracts

that have difﬁculties in integrating in the job market.

included an Ethics & Sustainable Development

At the beginning of 2009, the Group entered into a

clause recording these conditions. As from April

partnership with the Belgian Paralympic Committee

2010, all new or to be renewed Corporate and Gen-

(BPC) to offer employment opportunities to handi-

eration contracts, for now with the exception of fuel

capped athletes within its subsidiaries in Belgium.

purchasing, include this clause as standard. Suppli-

At the beginning of 2010, this cooperation led to the

ers will be able to peruse procurement conditions

recruitment of six athletes within Electrabel and its

on the website www.electrabel.be/suppliers.

subsidiaries. In practice, suppliers have to observe the following In cooperation with the VDAB, Forem and Bruxelles

principles:

Formation, in 2009, for the fourth time, Electrabel employed about twenty people in the ambit of its project Inschakelingsgroepen (Integration groups).

• regulatory compliance regarding safety, employee well-being and child protection;

This mainly involved people with a vocational handi-

• a pledge to avoid any form of discrimination with-

cap, persons with modest qualiﬁcations and persons

in their company or toward sub-contractors and

who want to reintegrate within the labour market.

to avoid corruption in any form;

They work in the company for a year and are given the opportunity to follow various kinds of training.

• respect for the environment in product design, manufacture, use, and disposal or recycling.

With this experience, they can increase their chances of employment.

The Ethics charter can be consulted and downloaded on www.gdfsuez.com.

Ethical behaviour in commercial relationships Electrabel integrates environmental and community care in its procurement procedures and supplier and product selection. The speciﬁcations include criteria that tie in with the commitments set by the company.

ETHICS CHARTER Ethics charter as a guideline On 10 November 2009, the GDF SUEZ Board of Directors approved the Group’s Ethics charter. In line with this charter, Electrabel requires its commercial partners, sub-contractors and suppliers to impose their own ethical rules, in regard to both sustainable development and social responsibility, as well as to respecting practices which are compatible with the company’s values.

Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009 | 49

50 | Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009

VERTROUWEN EVALUATING OP VERWORVEN THE RESULTSKENNIS

• 100 power stations • 100 environmental and social indicators LOREM IPSUM 70 ed % • 20% of indicators certiﬁ ItasGRI autcodes hillandit et rerlendis • 80 Aliqui am faciliq uidebi ofﬁcipit eolps modis....

Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009 | 51

05.EVALUATING THE RESULTS Scope and methodology

duction park (refer to table pg. 54 for a summary of the power stations that comprise the produc-

This part of the report provides general explanatory

tion park). For the production park capacity of the

notes on the method of calculation of the indica-

GDF SUEZ Energy Benelux & Germany business

tors. In some cases, the tables of environmental

area (refer to pg. 56), it also applies to the shares

and social indicators (refer to pg. 57-60) provide ad-

of Stadtwerke Gera, Wuppertaler Stadtwerke and

ditional information.

FFG in a number of power stations in Germany.

1. The indicators that appear in this report concern

6. The capacity and production of the Gembloux

Electrabel’s activities in Belgium, except for cer-

and Perwez wind turbine parks, managed by Air

tain information regarding GDF SUEZ Group (see

Energy and in which Electrabel has a share of

p. 6), GDF SUEZ Energy Benelux & Germany

50% and 25% respectively, are completely cov-

business area (see p. 56) and Electrabel in the

ered by the production park statistics because

Benelux (see p.7).

Electrabel commercialises the entire production.

2. The key ﬁgures on the GDF SUEZ Group (refer to

7. The total electricity production of the park is cal-

pg. 6) were taken from the Group’s ofﬁcial annual

culated in the same way as the capacity (refer

reports. Other external data sources are men-

to points 5 and 6) and is expressed in net pro-

tioned in the text.

duction. For the power stations that were closed down in 2009 (Amercoeur 2, Langerbrugge 20) or

3. Several environmental indicators that are part of the Together for less CO2 plan were validated by

sold (Langerlo, Vilvoorde), production is included up to the moment of closure or of the sale.

an external organisation, Vinçotte. They are cited in the environmental indicators table (refer to pg. 57) by the symbol

8. The consumption of primary fuels and electricity by the generating facilities is calculated at 100% for the facilities in their entirety.

4. The calculation method used for many of the indicators included in this report is laid down

9. The calculation of environmental indicators

in the manuals of the sustainable development

takes into account the performance of the CCGT

plan Together for less CO2 and of the Produc-

power stations, the combined heat and power

tion’s Global Environmental Plan. Figures were

units Langerbrugge, Lanxess and Solvay, the

also extracted from the CERIS (environment) and

conventional power stations, gas turbines, turbo-

SMART (social) databases which were developed

jets, nuclear power stations (at 100%), the Coo

for reporting at the GDF SUEZ Group level.

pumped storage power plant (see also point 11), hydroelectric power stations, wind farms and

5. SPE’s shares (10.19% in the Doel 3, Doel 4,

solar panels (see table pg. 54). The environmental

Tihange 2 and Tihange 3 nuclear power stations),

effects of Zandvliet Power CCGT power station

EDF (50% in nuclear power station Tihange 1)

were only included at a rate of 50%, equal to the

and RWE (50% in Zandvliet Power CCGT power

share Electrabel has in the subsidiary Zandvliet

station) were deducted from the reported values

Power which is consolidated by proportional

of the capacity of the power stations and the pro-

integration.

52 | Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009

10. The CO2, SO2, NOx and dust emissions and the corresponding electricity production of the Langerlo and Vilvoorde power stations that were transferred to E.ON at the beginning of November, were included in the statistics for the period up to the transfer (January - October). However, the months of November and December are included in the other environmental indicators, given the limited inﬂuence they have on the total

Electrabel used as best as possible the

result.

Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) sustainability reporting guidelines for the preparation

11. The speciﬁc emissions (the emission quantity per kilowatt-hour) and the yield of the fossil fuel

of this Activities and Sustainable Development Report.

stoked production park are expressed based on the ﬁnal net production. The production of

With a view to providing transparency for its

the Coo pumped storage power station is not

stakeholders, Electrabel wanted to draw up

included in the calculation of the speciﬁc emis-

its ﬁrst activities and sustainable develop-

sions.

ment report as part of a continuous improvement approach – the ﬁnal objective being to

12. The calculation of the efﬁciency and speciﬁc

submit the report for external certiﬁcation as

emissions of the fossil fuel-ﬁred generating fa-

of the 2010 ﬁscal year. An important step has

cilities, takes into account the biomass combus-

already been undertaken in this activities

tion in conventional power stations.

and sustainable development report, placing Ernst & Young Réviseurs d’Entreprises

13. The values of the speciﬁc emissions and the

SCCRL (EY) in charge of examining the com-

yields for the years 2008 and 2007, as published

pliance of the report drafted by Electrabel

in the 2008 and 2007 Activities reports, were re-

with Global Reporting Initiative guidelines.

calculated based on the ﬁnal net production to

EY’s work represents neither an audit nor a

reach a basis comparable with the year 2009.

limited review. Moreover, Electrabel also insisted on submitting a number of its envi-

14. The share of generation covered by a certiﬁed

ronmental indicators for external review by

environmental management system is calculat-

the company AIB Vinçotte (the indicators

ed based upon the perimeter applied by CERIS

that were veriﬁed are marked with a

(see point 4).

the indicators table – pages 57-59).

15. The details on staff numbers reﬂect the situation

Based upon the discussions with EY, the

at the end of the calendar year. They comprise

company is of the opinion that the report

the full count of staff in the subsidiaries that

complies with the GRI application level C

are fully and proportionally consolidated in the

(www.globalreporting.org/GRIReports/

accounting. All ﬁgures relating to staff are ex-

ApplicationLevels/).

pressed in nominative ﬁgures in active service.

Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009 | 53

05 EVALUATING THE RESULTS

Generating facilities in Belgium at end 2009 Power stations in service at end 2009

Power station

Main fuels

Net generating capacity in MW

Combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT)

1 888

Power station

Main fuels

Gas turbine

Net generating capacity in MW 108

Amercoeur

420

Drogenbos

460

Mol

Herdersbrug

460

Turbojet

350

Aalter

197.5

Beerse

Buda

Saint-Ghislain Zandvliet Power

(1)

Combined heat and power (CHP) BP Chembel

(2)

735

210

Cierreux

Deux-Acren

Fluxys(2)

Ixelles

Ineos Phenol(2)

22.8

Noordschote

Langerbrugge

Turon

Zedelgem

Zeebrugge

Zelzate

Energy recovery

Brussels Energy

Indaver (Beveren)

154

Isvag (Wilrijk)

14.5

Nuclear power station

4 502

52.2

Doel 1

392.5

2 861

Doel 2

433

Degussa

(2)

Lanxess Bayer(2) Lanxess Rubber Monsanto Sappi

(2)

Solvay Syral

(2)

Total RafďŹ naderij Antwerpen Oudegem Papier Gas engines

(2)

ng, bm

(10)

Conventional thermal Awirs(8) Kallo Knippegroen (Sidmar) Mol

(9)

Rodenhuize Ruien

(3)

10.5

ng, bm

374

Doel 3(4)

903.5

522

Doel 4(4)

940.1

bfg

305

Tihange 1(5)

255

Tihange 2

bfg, c, bm

526

Tihange 3

ng, c, bm

879

Drawing rights E.ON

(4)

54 | Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009

(4)

481 905.3 946.4 -500

EVALUATING THE RESULTS 05

Power station

Main fuels

Net generating capacity in MW

Pumped storage power station

1 307

Coo I Coo Il Plate Taille

(6)

Hydroelectric power station Bardonwez

Power station

Main fuels

Photovoltaic panels

Net generating capacity in MW 4.4

474

Beaulieu (Kruishoutem)

1.08

690

De Post

0.50

143

Delhaize (Zellik)

0.44

21.8

Delta Light

0.42

Honda (Alost)

0.89 0.07

0.035

Bévercé

9.2

KU Leuven

Bütgenbach

1.8

Sanac

Cierreux

0.1

Sioen (Ardooie)

0.22

Coo-diversion

0.4

Van de Velde

0.09

Heid-de-Goreux

8.1

Volvo Trucks Gent

0.52

La Vierre

1.9

Westerlo Kamp C

0.02

Lorcé

0.1

Total

Orval

0.05

Stavelot

0.12

Wind farm

109

BASF

Büllingen

Bütgenbach

Celanese Lanaken

Dour

Ford Genk

Gembloux Sombreffe(7)

Hoogstraten Izegem

Kasterlee Pathoekeweg Perwez

(7)

Rodenhuize Schelle

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10)

0.1

11 821

without share of RWE (50%); functions as a CHP-unit industrial partnership including gas turbines repowering without share of SPE (10.1927%) without share of EDF (50%) agreement with the MET joint venture with Air Energy unit Awirs 4 (80 MW) running on 100% biomass including unit Mol 11 (124 MW) in conservation including dump gas recovery

Fuels bfg gas from blast furnaces bm biomass c coal ke kerosene ng natural gas

0.66 3 7.5 4 4.5

Volvo Trucks Gent

Wondelgem

Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009 | 55

05 EVALUATING THE RESULTS

Changes in the production park in 2009

Power stations under construction at end 2009

Biomass units in service at end 2009

Nuclear power stations

Awirs: 80 MW

Doel 4: +38.8 MW (extension capacity)

Doel 1 (+40.5 MW)

Mol: 12 MW

Tihange 3: +38.8 MW (extension capacity)

Combined heat and power

Rodenhuize: 99 MW

Third parties’ share: -258 MW

Lillo Degussa (Evonik)

Ruien: 80.9 MW

(extension of SPE share)

(21 MW; share Electrabel)

Gas engines: 12.5 MW

Drawing right: -500 MW (swap E.ON)

Wind farms

Total: 284.4 MW

Combined cycle gas turbine

Leuze-en-Hainaut (8 MW)

Vilvoorde: -385 MW (swap E.ON)

Volvo Cars Gent (6 MW)

Conventional power stations

Quévy (6 MW)

Knippegroen: +305 MW (new)

Zeebrugge (4 MW)

Langerlo: -602 MW (swap E.ON)

Photovoltaic

Amercoeur 2: -127 MW (out of service)

Eke-Nazareth Zonnehoeve

Combined heat and power

(0.2 MW)

Lanxess Rubber: +58 MW (new) Spanolux: -9.7 MW (reduction capacity) Wind farms Ford Genk: +4 MW (new) Dour: +4 MW (extension) Photovoltaic Nine sites: +3.4 MW (new)

Key ﬁgures of the GDF SUEZ Energy Benelux & Germany business area (year 2009) Belgium

Employees

The Luxembourg Netherlands

Benelux

Germany

Outside the area

Total business area

7 447

1 264

8 732

1 554

10 286

Million customers electricity*

3.64**

0.24

3.88

0.20

4.08

Million customers natural gas*

1.92**

0.23

2.15

0.08

2.23

TWh sales of electricity

68.9

21.5

3.7

94.1

11.5

13.0

118.6

TWh sales of natural gas

55.8

16.7

0.04

72.5

2.8

0.5

75.8

MW generating capacity

11 821

4 068

376

16 265

1 977

18 242

MW renewable energy

419

490

505

* supply points ** Luxembourg included

56 | Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009

EVALUATING THE RESULTS 05

Environmental indicators (Electrabel in Belgium) Audit

Indicator

Unit

2009

2008

2007

Plan CO2

Page

Part of generation covered by an EMS

92.9

87.7

82.1

eng’t #3

ISO 14001 system; ﬁnal net; perimeter CERIS

Investment in efﬁciency improvement

€ million

190.7

209.7

eng’t #2

Fossil-fuelled power stations

Capacity of generating facilities

11 821

13 273

12 887

Net installed capacity

Capacity renewable energy

419

464

403

Wind, hydroelectric, biomass, photovoltaic

Part of renewable energy in total capacity

3.55

3.49

3.13

Wind, hydroelectric, biomass, photovoltaic

Production heat

GWh

5 335

6 254

6 419

Sales

Production electricity

GWh

66 032

65 040

69 943

Net electricity production

Electricity generation from renewable energy sources

GWh

1 831

1 859

1 407

Wind, hydroelectric, biomass, photovoltaic; ﬁnal net

Wind, hydroelectric, biomass, photovoltaic; net

Yearly consumption of 3 500 kWh per household

At 100%

Part of wind

10.4

7.9

8.2

Part of hydroelectric

3.2

3.95

5.3

Part of biomass

86.3

88.1

86.5

Part of photovoltaic

0.1

0.05

Part of renewable energy in total generation

2.77

2.86

2.01

Electricity generation from renewable energy sources

1 000 households

523

531

402

Primary energy consumption

GJ million

234

212

237

Part of natural gas

Part of coal

Part of biomass

Part of other fuels

5 318

5 112

5 289

Electricity consumption by the generating facilities

GWh

eng’t #1

Comment

Oil, kerosene, blast furnace gas, waste Difference between gross and ﬁnal net generation; at 100%

Part of pumped storage power stations

Quantity compared to total production

6.8

6.9

6.7

Efﬁciency of the fossilfuelled production park

42.6

42.0

41.6

eng’t #2

CO2 emissions

kilotonnes

13 692

13 788

16 044

eng’t #1 & 2

Gross production 23

Only electricity generation; biomass included; ﬁnal net

Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009 | 57

05 EVALUATING THE RESULTS

Audit

Indicator

Unit

2009

2008

2007

Plan CO2

Page

Speciﬁc CO2 emissions (fossil)

g/kWh

604

663

692

eng’t #2

Fossil-fuelled power stations; biomass included; ﬁnal net

Speciﬁc CO2 emissions (total)

g/kWh

202

215

232

eng’t #2

Idem + nuclear power stations and renewable energy; ﬁnal net

Reduction of CO2 emissions by the generating facilities

kilotonnes

2 048

652

eng’t #1 & 2

Reduction compared to 2007, calculated for an equivalent electricity production

Reduction of CO2 emissions by the personnel

12.3

4.7

eng’t #9

Emissions from daily activities (excluded production) comp. to 2007

Reduction of CO2 emissions by the personnel

tonnes

5 262

2 023

eng’t #9

Emissions from daily activities (excluded production) comp. to 2007

Buildings

tonnes

560

153

Mobility

tonnes

4 327

1 844

Purchases

tonnes

375

CH4 emissions

tonnes

383

261

279

N2O emissions

tonnes

135

110

120

SO2 emissions

tonnes

3 757

7 163

17 784

eng’t #3

Speciﬁc SO2 emissions (fossil)

mg/kWh

166

344

767

eng’t #3

Fossil-fuelled power stations; biomass included; ﬁnal net

Speciﬁc SO2 emissions (total)

mg/kWh

111

257

eng’t #3

Idem + nuclear power stations and renewable energy; ﬁnal net

NOx emissions

tonnes

9 367

9 899

17 216

eng’t #3

Speciﬁc NOx emissions (fossil)

mg/kWh

413

476

743

eng’t #3

Fossil-fuelled power stations; biomass included; ﬁnal net

Speciﬁc NOx emissions (total)

mg/kWh

138

154

249

eng’t #3

Idem + nuclear power stations and renewable energy; ﬁnal net

Dust emissions

tonnes

449

426

834

eng’t #3

Speciﬁc dust emissions (fossil)

mg/kWh

eng’t #3

Fossil-fuelled power stations; biomass included; ﬁnal net

Speciﬁc dust emissions (total)

mg/kWh

6.6

12.1

eng’t #3

Idem + nuclear power stations and renewable energy; ﬁnal net

Heavy metals emissions

tonnes

1.26

1.90

4.38

Chlorides emissions

tonnes

125.4

196

268

Fluorides emissions

tonnes

53.6

156

Water consumption for industrial processes

million m

3.93

3.58

3.55

Water consumption for cooling

million m3

109.4

105.7

114.1

Production of industrial waste

tonnes

30 159

35 834

77 799

Valorisation of industrial waste

tonnes

16 696

11 325

45 157

58 | Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009

Comment

Paper use

As, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Tl, V, Zn

Evaporated quantity Depends on demolition work and site clean-up eng’t #3

EVALUATING THE RESULTS 05

Audit

Indicator

Unit

2009

2008

2007

Production of by-products

kilotonnes

364

400

412

Fly ash, bottom ash, gypsum

Fly ash

kilotonnes

253

278

302

By-product of coal combustion

Bottom ash

kilotonnes

By-product of coal combustion

Gypsum

kilotonnes

By-product of ﬂue gas desulphurisation; Langerlo, Ruien

kilotonnes

361

395

409

Valorisation of by-products

Plan CO2

eng’t #3

Radioactive discharges

Page

Comment

Fly ash, bottom ash, gypsum

Total Doel and Tihange nuclear power stations

Beta-gamma

GBq

12.4

26.5

24.3

Annual limits: Doel: 1 480 GBq; Tihange: 888 GBq

Tritium

TBq

108.4

77.3

110.8

Annual limits: Doel: 103.6 TBq; Tihange: 147.6 TBq

Aerosols

GBq

0.0102

0.012

0.0144

Annual limits: Doel: 148 GBq; Tihange: 111 GBq

Iodine

GBq

0.0984

0.0874

0.163

Annual limits: Doel: 14.8 GBq; Tihange: 14.8 GBq

Rare gases

TBq

12.5

28.8

33.5

Annual limits: Doel: 2 960 TBq; Tihange: 2 220 TBq

292

282

272

1 000 contracts

354

101.5

11.5

TWh

3.2

2.3

1 000 connections

41.0

Production radioactive waste

Low- and medium-level conditioned waste; total Doel and Tihange

eng’t #6

GreenPlus and Professional Green; retail customers

0.7

eng’t #6

AlpEnergie; business customers

49.3

eng’t #5

New connections and switches; residential customers

15.2

26.8

eng’t #5

Renewable energy and CHP; at customers’ sites

Customers Green electricity contracts Sales of green electricity New natural gas connections New capacity with low CO2 emissions Corporate contracts including an Ethics & Sustainable Development clause

Part of total new corporate contracts

Generation contracts including an Ethics & Sustainable Development clause

Part of total new generation contracts

eng’t: engagement

Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009 | 59

05 EVALUATING THE RESULTS

Social indicators (Electrabel in Belgium) Audit

Indicator

Unit

2009

2008

2007

Staff number

headcounts

7 447

7 548

9 057

Managers

2 270

2 195

2 029

Executives

5 177

5 353

7 028

Men

4 990

5 134

6 353

Women

2 457

2 414

2 704

33.0

32.0

29.9

Permanent contract

7 104

7 121

8 359

Fixed-term contract

343

427

698

893

1 648

489

Permanent contract

656

1 241

358

Fixed-term contract

237

407

131

Women

Recruitments

headcounts

Age structure of staff

headcounts

>55 years

702

676

936

50-54 years

832

823

1 119

45-49 years

890

948

1 170

40-44 years

842

884

1 123

35-39 years

787

833

1 028

30-34 years

999

883

918

25-29 years

1 536

1 458

1 372

<25 years

516

616

693

561

631

415

Training

Plan CO2

thousand hours

Work accidents

Page 45

see page 46

2.36

2.70

3.91

Severity rate (Sr)

see page 46

0.07

0.05

0.08

60 | Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009

Active service; subsidiaries included

Integration contracts included 45

Subsidiaries included

Active service; permanent contract; subsidiaries included

45 46

Frequency rate (Fr)

Comment

Subsidiaries not included

EVALUATING THE RESULTS 05

GRI reference table The GRI reference table indicates where the standard com-

of data collection in view of possible reporting in future. For

ponents of the information (strategy; organisational proﬁle;

indicators that are reported at GDF SUEZ Group level, please

report parameters; governance, commitments and engage-

refer to the corresponding publication.

ment; management approach and performance indicators) are used in this report. The GRI indicators that are not included − the full reference table can be downloaded from the GRI website www.globalreporting.org/Home − are the subject of an investigation into their relevance and/or the methodology

Ref. 1. 1.1 2.

DESCRIPTION

Page

STRATEGY AND ANALYSIS Statement from the CEO

ORGANISATIONAL PROFILE

2.1

Name of the organisation

2.2

Primary brands, products, and/or services

6, 30, 34-37

2.3

Operational structure of the organisation

2.4

Location of organisation’s headquarters

2.5

Countries where the organisation operates

6, 56

2.6

Nature of ownership and legal form

6, 68

2.7

Markets served

6, 56

2.8

Scale of the reporting organisation

2.9

Signiﬁcant changes during the reporting period

Awards received

2.10 3.

www.electrabel.com (corp. gov.)

REPORT PARAMETERS

3.1

Reporting period

3.2

Date of most recent previous report

3.3

Reporting cycle

3.4

Contact point for questions

3.5

Process for deﬁning report content

3.6

Boundary of the report

3.7

State any speciﬁc limitations on the scope or boundary

3.8

Basis for reporting on joint ventures, subsidiaries…

3.9

Data measurement techniques and the bases of calculations

Re-statements of information

3.10

External source

1, 52

Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009 | 61

05 EVALUATING THE RESULTS

Ref.

DESCRIPTION

Page

3.11

Signiﬁcant changes in the scope, boundaries…

8, 52

3.12

Table identifying the location of the disclosures

3.13

Seeking external assurance

External source

52, 64, 65

GOVERNANCE, COMMITMENTS AND ENGAGEMENT

4.1

Governance structure

www.electrabel.com (corp. gov.)

4.2

Function of the Chair of the highest governance body

www.electrabel.com (corp. gov.)

4.3

Members that are independent and/or non-executive members

www.electrabel.com (corp. gov.)

4.4

Mechanisms for shareholders and employees to provide recommendations

DdR 2009 GDF SUEZ p. 127

4.14

List of stakeholder groups engaged

RADD 2009 GDF SUEZ p. 78

4.15

Identiﬁcation and selection of stakeholders

RADD 2009 GDF SUEZ p. 78

MANAGEMENT APPROACH ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

EC1

Direct economic value generated and distributed

EC2

Financial implications and other risks and opportunities due to climate change

DdR 2009 GDF SUEZ p. 147

ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE INDICATORS EN1

PCB transformers

EN3

Direct energy consumption

16, 57

EN4

Indirect energy consumption

41-42

EN5

Energy saved due to efﬁciency improvements

22-23, 41-42

EN6

Initiatives to provide energy-efﬁcient or renewable energy based products and services

20-27, 34-37, 41-44

EN7

Initiatives to reduce indirect energy consumption

41-44

EN8

Water withdrawal by source

EN12

Impacts on biodiversity

EN13

Habitats restored

EN14

Actions for managing impacts on biodiversity

EN16

Direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions

23-24, 41-42, 58

EN18

Initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

20-27, 34-37, 41-44

EN20

NOx, SOx, and other emissions

26, 58

EN22

Total weight of waste

EN24

Hazardous waste

20, 25

EN26

Mitigate environmental impacts of products and services

25, 27

EN28

Non-compliance with environmental laws and regulations

25, 41

EN29

Environmental impacts of transporting products and members

41-42

LABOUR PRACTICES AND DECENT WORK PERFORMANCE INDICATORS LA1

Total workforce

62 | Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009

DdR 2009 GDF SUEZ p. 128, 166

45, 60

EVALUATING THE RESULTS 05

Ref.

DESCRIPTION

Page

LA2

Employee turnover

LA7

Safety indicators

46, 60

LA10

Hours of training

18, 45, 60

LA13

Breakdown of employees per category according to gender and age group

External source

45, 60

HUMAN RIGHTS PERFORMANCE INDICATORS HR1

Investment agreements that include human rights clauses

DdR 2009 GDF SUEZ p. 115

HR2

Suppliers and contractors that have undergone screening on human rights

DdR 2009 GDF SUEZ p. 115

HR8

Security personnel trained in human rights

DdR 2009 GDF SUEZ p. 131

SOCIETY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS SO1

Programmes and practices that manage the impacts on communities

40-41

SO4

Actions in response to corruption

Ethics charter GDF SUEZ*

SO5

Policy regarding lobbying

Ethics charter GDF SUEZ*

PRODUCT RESPONSIBILITY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS PR1

Health and safety impacts of products and services

PR3

Product and service information

PR5

Customer satisfaction

25 34-37 33

ELECTRIC UTILITY SPECIFIC INDICATORS EU1

Installed capacity broken down by energy source

EU2

Energy output broken down by energy source

EU3

Number of customers

EU5

CO2 emissions allowances

EU6

Approach to ensure short and long-term electricity availability and reliability

EU7

Demand-side management programmes

34-37

EU8

Research and development activity aimed at providing reliable electricity and promoting sustainable development

43-44

EU9

Provisions for decommissioning of nuclear power sites

EU10

Planned capacity

EU11

Generation efﬁciency of thermal plants

22-23

EU14

Programmes and processes to ensure the availability of a skilled workforce

18, 45

EU16

Policies regarding health and safety of employees

18, 46

EU19

Stakeholder participation in the decision making process

EU21

Emergency management plan

EU23

Programmes to improve or maintain access to electricity

EU30

Average plant availability factor

DdR 2009 GDF SUEZ p. 303 16

40-41, 44 18 31-33, 48

DdR 2009 GDF SUEZ p. 112, 115 RADD 2009 GDF SUEZ p. 82

3, 18

www.electrabel.com (corporate governance) DdR: Document de Référence - Reference document RADD: Rapport d’Activité et Développement Durable - Activities and Sustainable Development report *with Guidelines ‘Ethics in Practice’ The references to the pages of the DdR and RADD concern the French version.

Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009 | 63

05 EVALUATING THE RESULTS

Indicators certiďŹ cate

64 | Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009

Green electricity certiďŹ cate

Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009 | 65

Glossary Abbreviations

Units

BNO

Brussels Network Operations

Becquerel (unit of radioactivity)

CCGT

Combined Cycle Gas Turbine

GBq

gigabecquerel (109 Bq)

CCS

Carbon Capture Storage

TBq

terabecquerel (1012 Bq)

CEO

Chief Executive Ofﬁcer

Joule (unit of energy)

CH4

methane

megajoule (106 J)

CNG

Compressed Natural Gas

gigajoule (109 J)

CO2

carbon dioxide

petajoule (1015 J)

CREG

Commission for electricity and gas

Watt (unit of power)

regulation

megawatt (106 W)

DSO

Distribution System Operator

gigawatt (109 W)

EEPR

European Economic Plan for Recovery

watt-hour (unit of energy)

EMAS

Environmental Management and Audit

kWh

kilowatt-hour (103 Wh)

Scheme

GWh

gigawatt-hour (106 Wh)

EMS

Environmental Management System

TWh

terawatt-hour (1012 Wh)

ESP

Energy Savings Partnership

FIR

Preservation fund for birds of prey

FSC

Forest Steward Council

GRI

Global Reporting Initiative

High Voltage

Deﬁnitions

IAEA

International Atomic Energy Agency

• Speciﬁc emission: quantity of a substance

INES

International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale

ISO N2O

1 kWh = 3.6 MJ

1 MJ = 0.278 kWh

emitted per quantity of electricity produced • Long Term Operation (LTO): a methodology

International Organisation for

based on IAEA guidelines and focused on two

Standardisation

fundamental points: managing ageing nuclear

nitrous oxide

power plant equipment, and the modernisation

NOx

nitrogen oxides

NGO

Non-Governmental Organisation

ORES

Opérateur des Réseaux Gaz & Électricité

of their design • OSART: an OSART mission is a nuclear power plant review conducted, at the request of the

OSART Operational Safety Review Team

authorities, by teams of international experts

PCB

Polychlorinated biphenyl

from the IAEA. The review focuses on the

R&I

Research and Innovation

safety and reliability of operating the plant. The

RES

Renewable Energy Sources

practices employed in the plant under review are

RUE

Rational Use of Energy

compared to the best world-wide practices

Sustainable Development

SME

Small- and Medium-sized Enterprise

organisation created to improve safety at

SO2

sulphur dioxide

nuclear power plants. A Peer review, carried out

WANO World Association of Nuclear Operators

• WANO Peer review: the WANO is an

at the request of a plant, is conducted by an international team consisting of experts from other nuclear power plants. The team compares the operational performance of the plant in several key areas against best international practice through an in-depth, objective review of its operations

66 | Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009

Information GDF SUEZ Group

Business area GDF SUEZ Energy Benelux & Germany

GDF SUEZ

Belgium

PUBLICATIONS

16-26, rue du Docteur Lancereaux

Electrabel

Sustainable development

75008 Paris, France

Boulevard du Régent 8

Visit www.electrabel.be/sustainable

www.gdfsuez.com

1000 Brussels, Belgium

• Learn everything about

Tel. + 33 1 57 04 00 00

www.electrabel.be

Electrabel’s CO2-plan

Tel. + 32 2 518 61 11

• Download the Green Book

• Reference document 2009

The Netherlands

• Subscribe to the newsletter

• Activities and Sustainable

Electrabel Nederland

PUBLICATIONS

Development Report 2009

Together for less CO2

Dr. Stolteweg 92

• Ethics charter

8025 AZ Zwolle, the Netherlands

available in PDF-form on

(September 2010: Grote Voort 291

www.gdfsuez.com

8041 BL Zwolle, the Netherlands) www.electrabel.nl electrabel@electrabel.nl Tel. + 31 88 769 29 00 Luxembourg

Environmental declarations EMAS

Twinerg

Doel nuclear power station

201, route d’Ehlerange

• in Dutch

4108 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg

• in PDF format at www.electrabel.be

www.twinerg.lu secretariat@twinerg.lu Tel. + 35 2 26 55 49 1

• requests for printed copies: doel.infocenter@electrabel.com

Germany GDF SUEZ Energie Deutschland Friedrichstraße 200 10017 Berlin, Germany www.gdfsuez-energie.de info@gdfsuez-energie.de Tel. + 49 30 72 61 53 500

Tihange nuclear power station • in French ETHICS CHARTER

• in PDF format at www.electrabel.be • requests for printed copies: jeancharles.delalleau@electrabel.com

Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009 | 67

Electrabel S.A. Boulevard du Régent 8 1000 Brussels, Belgium www.electrabel.be Tel. + 32 2 518 61 11 Fax + 32 2 518 64 00 VAT BE 0403.170.701 RPR/RPM Brussels Ce rapport est également disponible en français. Dit verslag is ook beschikbaar in het Nederlands. download via www.electrabel.be request a printed copy: • sosdoc@electrabel.com • www.electrabel.be • Electrabel Boulevard du Régent 8 1000 Brussels, Belgium Tel. + 32 2 518 62 22 Fax + 32 2 518 64 00 Questions on this report robert.imler@electrabel.com

This publication was printed entirely on paper certiﬁed by the Forest Steward Council (FSC). This organisation promotes and guarantees responsible forest management that aims to be economically attractive, environmentally sustainable and socially equitable. The paper supplier has obtained ISO 14001 (environment) and OHSAS 18001 (health and safety) certiﬁcates. The presses use vegetable ink. Waste paper and cardboard, in addition to used offset plates, are recovered and recycled.

Colophon This publication was produced by the Communication department. The graphic concept and the production were assigned to The Crew Communication, Brussels (Belgium). Photographs: Jacques Breuer, Jean-Michel Byl, Jean-Jacques De Neyer, IPF, Didier Mossiat, Alain Pierot, David Plas, Shutterstock, Antoine Soto Picture location cover: Kamp C, Westerlo Printing: Antilope, Lier (Belgium) Responsible publisher: Fernand Grifnée, Boulevard du Régent 8, 1000 Brussels, Belgium June 2010 D/2010/7.208/2

68 | Activities and Sustainable Development Report 2009