Other non-financial information

CO2 and energy

This section provides a detailed review of the energy consumption by Alliander itself and the CO2-related impacts of operations. The methodology and the conversion factors used are also described.

Energy consumption

Alliander takes 2012 as the base year for calculating its energy consumption, the year in which the targets for CO2-related emissions were formulated. In 2012, emissions totalled 761 kilotonnes CO2-eq without a greening policy. The gross emissions in 2020 totalled 408 kilotonnes CO2-eq (-46% compared to 2012); including greening, net emissions amount to 205 kilotonnes CO2-eq.
At least 10% of our own electricity consumption is fed by renewable electricity we have generated ourselves, and surplus is fed back into the grid. The entire remaining consumption of electricity for buildings will be greened/compensated by Guarantees of Origin for wind energy produced in the Netherlands. The Duiven and Arnhem Bellevue offices are almost energy-neutral (at least an A label). For 10% to 50% of the user surface, sustainable heat is used for space heating using thermal energy storage. All Alliander offices will meet the A, B or C label criteria by 2023 at the latest.

 

2020

2019

2018

Energy consumption of buildings

   

Gas consumption

920,301m3

920,703m3

 1,386,649m3 1

Electricity consumption

8,095,728 kWh

9,345,740 kWh

9,779,593 kWh

    

Fuel consumption of vehicle fleet

   

Petrol

1,103,185 litres

1,549,087 litres

1,360,318 litres

Diesel

3,102,545 litres

3,946,833 litres

4,392,424 litres

LPG

4,960 litres

10,163 litres

 10,186 litres

Electricity2

358,201 kWh

0 kWh

0 kWh

  • 1 The addition of technical facilities means that the total gas consumption by buildings was up overall.
  • 2 The electricity consumption for our vehicle fleet in 2018 and 2019 is accounted for in the figures for our buildings.
 

2020

2019

2018

Conversion factor

Energy consumption of buildings

    

Gas and heat consumption

32,367GJ

32,384GJ

 48,768GJ

35.17 official calorific value of Slochteren natural gas

Electricity consumption

29,145GJ

33,645GJ

35,207GJ

conversion factor 3.6, SI unit conversion factor

Total energy usage in buildings

61,512GJ

66,029GJ

83,975GJ

 
     

Energy consumption for transport & mobility

   

Conversion factor

Petrol

35,743GJ

50,190GJ

44,074GJ

conversion factor 32.4

Diesel

111,071GJ

141,297GJ

157,249GJ

conversion factor 35.8

LPG

129GJ

264GJ

265GJ

conversion factor 26

Electricity

1,290GJ

0GJ

0GJ

conversion factor 3.6

Total energy usage for transport & mobility

148,233GJ

191,751GJ

201,588GJ

 
     

Total energy usage

209,775GJ

257,780GJ

285,563GJ

 

CO2-emissions and carbon footprint

For the purposes of the ‘Making the energy supply and our organisation sustainable’ section, a uniform emissions standard has been used. This differs from the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol. The figures expressed in CO2 equivalents in accordance with the GHG Protocol are presented in the following table.

tonnes

2020

2019

Scope 1

  

Gas usage in buildings

1,734

1,735

Natural gas network leakage loss

130,334

47,708

Lease & company cars:

13,237

17,011

SF6 emissions:

2,488

1,828

Total gas consumption of buildings

147,793

68,282

   

Scope 2

  

Electricity in buildings

4,192

4,859

Network losses on electricity, technical

175,487

257,845

Network losses on electricity, administrative

78,701

115,637

Total electricity consumption of buildings

258,380

378,341

   

Scope 3

  

Commuting, business travel, air transport

1,719

3,958

Total for transport & mobility

1,719

3,958

   

Total footprint

407,892

450,581

   

Carbon offset

-202,691

-207,696

   

Total, including carbon offset

205,201

242,885

  • 1 The CO2 emission result for 2019 has been recalculated according to the most recent emission factors.

Most of the figures included in the tables and graphs in this report are taken from the underlying source systems. Some figures, however, are derived from third-party records or reports. An example of this is the volume of waste and the level of waste-related CO2 emissions.

Arriving at the carbon footprint and the energy consumption involves making assumptions and estimates. Since 2016, the CO2 emissions factor for the grid losses has been calculated on the basis of the energy purchased from our suppliers to cover grid losses. For the 2020 annual report, the 2019 electricity labels have been used. This gives a figure for the CO2 coefficient of 0.20218kg CO2/kWh. This includes an adjustment of 2% for tank-to-wheel. More than 62% of the carbon footprint is attributable to network losses in the electricity infrastructure. From 2020, network operators will be obliged to purchase the natural gas leakage loss over a larger part of the chain. This means that these losses will represent a higher portion of the carbon footprint. This brings the share of leakage losses in the gross footprint to 32% (2019: 11%). The gas leakage loss is based on the number of kilometres of pipeline in Alliander’s gas network. Cast-iron gas mains have higher leakage losses (323m3/km/a), which is considerably higher than the mains using PE pipe (55.3m3/km/a). The CO2 equivalent is calculated using a factor of 25 (methane).

  

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

Net CO2-eq emissions

kt

205

243

288

416

712

Net revenue

€ million

2,009

1,930

1,920

1,697

1,584

Net CO2-eq emissions/net revenue

tonne/€ million

102

126

150

245

449

Our carbon footprint per million euros in revenue has been greatly reduced in recent years through targeted measures.

Transport

The greatest impact Alliander has relates to the activity of distributing energy to end users. This accounts for the following volumes:

 

2020

2019

2018

Electricity transmission

29,723 kWh

28,548 kWh

29,858 kWh

Gas transmission

5,600 million m3

5,860 million m3

6,090 million m3

The calculated network losses are the end result of the allocation and reconciliation process, in which the difference is calculated for all volumes entering the Liander network less all volumes taken up by end users. The main causes of network losses are losses that occur during transmission (through resistance or other factors), customers who consume electricity without a contract, and improper use or theft of electricity from the grid. The total grid losses are finalised using a ‘reconciliation’ process. Meter readings are often estimated and only read at a later time, meaning there is delay in settlement and allocation and it takes a few years for data to be finalised.

For the energy intensity ratio, Alliander divides its own energy usage in gigajoules (GJ) by its net revenue. This ratio takes into account the gas and electricity consumption of buildings and the fuel consumption of the vehicle fleet. The development of the ratio over a series of years shows the decrease in Alliander’s own energy usage per million euros of net revenue. In 2020 we see an additional decrease in energy usage due to the much lower occupancy of our buildings.

 

2020

2019

2018

Energy intensity ratio

109GJ/€ million (209,775/2,009)

133.6GJ/€ million (257,780/1,930)

148.2GJ/€ million (285,563/1,920)

  • * This information is not available by energy type. Where Alliander is concerned, a view is obtained according to energy type for Scope 1 use; the distinction according to energy type for Alliander’s own use is of a far smaller magnitude and impact and is therefore immaterial.

Green gas

The total feed-in of green gas in the area supplied by Alliander during the year 2020 was 55 million m3, a 32% increase compared with 2019. This involved connections to 20 green gas production facilities. The term ‘green gas’ refers to:

  • Green gas: bio-SNG, biogas, and landfill gas conditioned and upgraded to natural gas quality. Gas satisfying the definition of gas as a fuel but differing in that it is a product of a fermentation or digestion process. The two main components of biogas are CH4 and CO2.

  • Landfill gas: gas satisfying the definition of gas as a fuel but differing in that it is a product of the natural processes of decay in a landfill site for waste disposal. The analysis is similar to that of biogas.

  • Bio-SNG: SNG – substitute/synthetic natural gas – produced exclusively from biomass.

Crisis organisation

In case of major outages, an internal crisis organisation is mobilised. Within this organisation, staff members of various departments work on-call shifts. Depending on the nature and scale of the incident, when the crisis is over, we set up a case and/or investigation team to assist and ensure the completion of any internal and/or external investigations. All major incidents are evaluated to identify and implement possible improvements.

CSR organisation

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a responsibility that is integral to all parts of the business and is included in the Planning & Control cycle. All the business units perform an analysis of the qualitative and quantitative impacts which their operations have on society. The Management Board has overall responsibility for the economic, ecological and social impact of Alliander. The CSR Manager communicates the policy to the managers of the separate entities and assists the management team in defining quantifiable parameters for monitoring progress. The Management Board and the Supervisory Board liaise with stakeholder representatives. Their presence or representation at regular and ad hoc meetings ensures an active awareness of developments and views regarding strategic topics. See the section of the report covering Interaction with stakeholders for the various social concerns that have been discussed.
The results of the CSR policy are evaluated with the stakeholders. The extent to which stakeholders appreciate the policy that is pursued and the results that are achieved is gauged by such means as customer surveys, employee surveys, shareholders’ meetings, roundtable meetings and the Social Report.

External assurance of the social part of the annual report

Alliander believes it important for its stakeholders to have formal assurance regarding the social part of the annual report. For the 2020 annual report, Alliander has received an unqualified assurance report affording reasonable assurance with respect to the most relevant part of the annual report, namely the more important management variables taken into account by the company (both financial and non-financial).

Alliander has also obtained reasonable assurance in relation to the material aspects of its reporting (materiality test). Additionally, Alliander has received an unqualified assurance report affording limited assurance covering the rest of the social part of the annual report. To guarantee the quality of the social information, Alliander adopts the Three Lines model. The various business units are required to submit social information gathered in connection with the stakeholder dialogue, the materiality test and GRI activities, as well as in other ways. The separate entities form the first line of defence and are responsible for supplying reliable information. The business controllers of each business unit form the second line of defence and ensure that their business submits its information reliably and on time. The business controllers check such things as the basis of the information and the analysis of it by the business itself and prepares a file for the verification carried out by the internal audit department. The internal audit department forms the third line of defence, verifying the social information before it is reviewed by the external auditors. The external auditors form the final link in the verification process and provide ultimate assurance, as expressed in the report.

Additional information

Description

31/12/2020

31/12/2019

Date of previous report

18 February 2021

20 February 2020

   

Customer

  

Frequency of power outages (SAIFI)

0.328

0.306

Power outage duration SAIDI (minutes)

23.2

21.9

CAIDI (minutes)

70.6

71.4

Efficiency of transmission and distribution: Total network losses as % of total feed-in

4.40%

4.52%

Total length of leased fibre optic infrastructure

4.416 km

4.144 km

Total length of fibre optic infrastructure

4.158 km

1.877 km

Newly built fibre optic infrastructure

253 km

101 km

Number of buildings disconnected

3756

4038

   

Employee

  

Percentage of employees eligible for pension plan in 5 years’ time

26%

27%

Percentage of employees eligible for pension plan in 10 years’ time

37%

39%

Employees on a fixed-term employment contract (number)

598

431

Percentage of men on a fixed-term employment contract

80%

79%

Percentage of women on a fixed-term employment contract

20%

21%

Employees on a permanent employment contract (number)

5,383

5,339

Percentage of men on a permanent employment contract

81%

81%

Percentage of women on a permanent employment contract

19%

19%

Employees on a full-time employment contract or agency/contract staff contract (number)

5,683

5,654

Percentage of men on a full-time employment contract or agency/contract staff contract

88%

89%

Percentage of women on a full-time employment contract or agency/contract staff contract

12%

11%

Employees on an agency/contract staff contract (number)

1,067

1,525

Percentage of men on an agency/contract staff contract

83%

84%

Percentage of women on an agency/contract staff contract

17%

16%

Employees on a part-time employment contract or agency/contract staff contract (number)

1,362

1,641

Percentage of men on a part-time employment contract or agency/contract staff contract

51%

57%

Percentage of women on a part-time contract or agency/contract staff contract

49%

43%

Total workforce (number)

7,122

7,295

Total internal employees (FTEs)

5,881

5,703

Total agency/contract workers (FTEs)

980

1,076

Percentage of employee covered by and subject to collective provisions in employment contracts

99.93%

100%

Inflow of male employees (number)

574

439

Inflow of female employees (number)

139

126

Outflow of male employees (number)

414

505

Outflow of female employees (number)

99

149

Employees aged <25 years

125

70

Employees aged >= 55 years

1,560

1,585

Employees aged 25-35 years

1,319

1,210

Employees aged 35-45 years

1,673

1,531

Employees aged 45-55 years

1,380

1,374

Employees in leadership positions (number)

470

491

Male employees (number)

4,866

4,649

Female employees (number)

1,191

1,121

Percentage of female employees in leadership positions

29.0%

26.90%

People with poor employment prospects (number)

108

101

Gender pay ratio

100.7%

100.3%

Sickness absence rate

3.9%

4.2%

Sickness absence rate among women

4.3%

5.3%

Sickness absence rate among men

3.9%

4.0%

Number of cases of complaints regarding occupational health and safety lodged through the formal complaints mechanism

32

49

Percentage of workforce represented on formal occupational health and safety committees of employer and employee

99.9%

99.9%

Number of reported cases of undesirable behaviour (and discrimination) by employees

33

19

Number of employees who have completed safety training (and passed the associated exam) this year

1,511

1,955

Number of contract employees who have completed safety training (and passed the associated exam) this year

156

0

   

Environment

  

Monetary value of significant fines and total number of non-monetary sanctions for non-compliance with environmental legislation and regulations

€ 3,000

€ 0

Number of environmental incidents reported to the relevant authorities

3

13

Number of financial sanctions imposed on account of non-compliance or inadequate compliance with environmental legislation and regulations

1

1

Water consumption (M3)

25,473

20,044

Office waste: paper (tonnes)

815

866

Office waste: secure shredding service paper (tonnes)

60

90

Office waste: miscellaneous (tonnes)

324

422

Office waste: paper (tonnes)

0.92

0.66

Industrial waste: metal (tonnes)

7,252

6,662

Industrial waste: wood (tonnes)

228

220

Industrial waste: plastic (tonnes)

740

865

Industrial waste: soil (tonnes)

1,734

715

Industrial waste: miscellaneous (tonnes)

4,252

4,173

Hazardous waste (tonnes)

616

491

Waste: total weight for the year (tonnes)

16,021

14,618

   

Governance and Society

  

Significant financial support from governments (lower tax rate, subsidies, credit, investment premiums)

€ 568,575

€ 703,311

Accidents and health impacts on citizens in relation to assets/legal proceedings relating to health & safety of customers and/or third parties

1 ongoing, 0 closed

1 ongoing, 0 closed

Monetary value of significant sanctions imposed on account of non-compliance with legislation and regulations regarding the delivery and use of products and services

€ 3,000

€ 76,750

Current legal proceedings against the company brought by third parties where the charge includes corruption/fraud (number)

0

0

Companies with which ties have been severed on account of corruption/fraud (number)

0

0

Employees confronted with measures in relation to corruption/fraud (number)

4

10

ISO 9001 Certificate

ISO 9001

 

ISO 14001 Certificate

ISO 14001

 

OHSAS 18001 Certificate

OHSAS 18001

 

Requirements for safety, quality, and capacity management system for electricity and gas network management

NTA 8120

 

VCA Certificate

VCA Certificaat

 

HSE Checklist

VGM Checklist

 

CO2 Performance Ladder

CO2 Prestatieladder

 

ISO 55001 Asset Management

ISO 55001 assetmanagement