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 uses 2012 as a reference year for comparison of energy and CO2 data. The reason for this is that 2012 is the year in which the targets for CO2-related emissions were formulated. In that year, emissions totalled 761 kilotons of CO2-eq without a greening policy. Gross emissions in 2021 amounted to 450 kilotons of CO2-eq (-41% compared to 2012); including greening, our own organisation’s net emissions amounted to 115 kilotons of CO2-eq.
At least 10% of the electricity consumption of our buildings is fed by renewable electricity we generate ourselves on site. The remaining electricity consumption for buildings is procured. The energy mix of this procurement comprises 49.2% renewable energy production and 50.8% generated from gas. The electricity label for this gives 398g of CO2/kWh. The entire CO2 volume is compensated by Guarantees of Origin for wind energy produced in the Netherlands. The Duiven and Arnhem Bellevue offices are moreover practically energy-neutral (at least an A label) and surplus is fed back into the grid. All Alliander offices will meet the A, B or C label criteria by 2023 at the latest.

 

2021

2020

2019

Energy consumption of buildings

   

Gas consumption in buildings (m3)

1,069,106

920,301

1,386,649

Electricity consumption in buildings (kWh)

8,202,984

8,095,728

9,779,593

Fuel consumption of vehicle fleet (litres)

   

Petrol

1,115,626

1,103,185

1,360,318

Diesel

2,770,679

3,102,545

4,392,424

LPG

2,154

4,960

10,186

Electricity1 (kWh)

2,432,381

358,201

0

Commuter traffic, business travel, air travel (km)

8,846,583

11,157,113

29,122,704

  • 1 In 2018 and 2019, the electricity consumption for our vehicle fleet was accounted for in the consumption for our buildings. This figure is reported on separately as of 2020.

GJ

2021

2020

2019

Conversion factor1

Energy consumption of buildings

    

Gas and heat consumption

37,600 GJ

32,367GJ

32,384GJ

35.17 official calorific value of Slochteren natural gas

Electricity consumption2

29,531 GJ

29,145GJ

33,645GJ

conversion factor 3.6, SI unit conversion factor

Total energy usage in buildings

67,131 GJ

61,512GJ

66,029GJ

 
     

Energy consumption for transport & mobility

   

Conversion factor

Petrol

36,146 GJ

35,743GJ

50,190GJ

conversion factor 32.4

Diesel

99,190 GJ

111,071GJ

141,297GJ

conversion factor 35.8

LPG

56 GJ

129GJ

264GJ

conversion factor 26

Electricity

8,757 GJ

1,290GJ

0GJ

conversion factor 3.6

Total energy usage for transport & mobility

144,149 GJ

148,233GJ

191,751GJ

 
     

Total energy usage

211,280 GJ

209,775GJ

257,780GJ

 

CO2-emissions and carbon footprint

A sector-wide uniform emissions standard has been used for the purposes of the section entitled ‘Making the energy supply and our organisation sustainable’. 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.

CO2emissions in tons1

2021

20202

Scope 1

  

Gas consumption in buildings

2,014

1,758

Heat use in buildings

33

-

Natural gas network leakage loss

138,575

136,032

Lease & company cars:

13,466

13,346

SF6 emissions

1,097

2,488

Use of generators

8,848

8,479

Total for scope 1, own organisation

164,034

162,104

   

Scope 2

  

Electricity in buildings

3,330

3,287

Network losses on electricity, technical

194,017

139,276

Network losses on electricity, administrative

87,012

62,462

Total for scope 2, own organisation

284,359

205,025

   

Scope 3

  

Commuter traffic

1,419

1,677

Business and air travel

31

20

Total for scope 3, own organisation

1,450

1,697

   

Total for scopes 1, 2 and 3, own organisation

449,842

368,825

   

Greening/Offsetting

  

Greening network losses E

281,029

170,070

Greening network losses G

40,048

6,802

Greening of gas consumption in buildings

2,047

1,758

Greening of electricity consumption in buildings

3,330

3,287

Greening of vehicle fleet

7,888

10,776

Total for greening, own organisation

334,343

192,692

Total for own organisation including greening

115,499

176,133

   

Scope 3 - Supply chain emissions

  

Components for network expansion/upgrades

205,830

-

Maintenance, construction and procured services

164,382

-

Other (waste, investments and energy)

75,591

-

Total for scope 3, supply chain emissions

445,802

-

   

Total footprint

561,301

176,133

  • 1 The CO2 emissions are calculated in terms of CO2 equivalents. The main underlying greenhouse gases are methane, SF6 and CO2 emissions resulting from energy generation from fossil fuels.  
  • 2 The net CO2 emissions figure for 2020 has been recalculated using the most recent emission factors (2020).

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. 

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. The 2020 electricity labels have been used for the 2021 annual report. This gives a figure for the CO2 coefficient of 0.21743 kg CO2/kWh. This includes an adjustment of 2% for tank-to-wheel. Of the CO2 footprint, 62% 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 it now represents a much higher proportion of our carbon footprint. Gas leakage losses accounted for 31% of the gross footprint in 2021, compared with 11% in 2019. Gas leakage losses are based on consumption by customers without an energy contract, improper use or theft of gas from the network and the number of kilometres of gas mains in Alliander’s gas network. Cast-iron gas mains have higher leakage losses (322.5m3/km) than the regular PE pipes (55.3m3/km) and therefore higher emissions. The CO2 equivalent is calculated using a factor of 28 (methane). We reported procurement-related supply chain emissions in 2021 as part of scope 3. These are emissions which take place at our suppliers when making, transporting and delivering services and products. Calculations take place on the basis of key emission figures for each sector multiplied by Alliander’s expenditure in the sector. These emissions are beyond the scope of our climate objectives and form no part of the intensity indicator.

  

2021

20201

2019

2018

2017

Net CO2-eq emissions

kt

115

176

243

288

416

Net revenue

€ million

2,120

2,009

1,930

1,920

1,697

Net CO2-eq emissions/net revenue

tonne/€ million

54

88

126

150

245

  • 1 The net CO2 emission result for 2020 has been recalculated according to the most recent emission factors (2020).

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:

 

2021

2020

2019

Electricity transmission

27,262 GWh

29,723 kWh

28,548 kWh

Gas transmission

6,056 million m3

5,600 million m3

5,860 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 an energy 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.

To arrive at 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. We saw a reduction in energy consumption due to lower occupancy of our buildings as a consequence of the pandemic.

 

2021

2020

2019

Energy intensity ratio

99 GJ/€ million (211,280/2,127)

104 GJ/€ million (209,775/2,009)

133.6GJ/€ million (257,780/1,930)

  • * 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 2021 was 59 million m3, a 7% increase compared with 2020. This involved connections to 22 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, round table meetings and the social reports.

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. Alliander has received an unqualified assurance report for its 2021 annual report, affording reasonable assurance with respect to the most relevant part of the annual report, namely the principal 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

31-12-2021

31-12-2020

Date of report

24-Feb-22

18-Feb-21

   

Customer

  

Frequency of power outages (SAIFI)

0.267

0.328

Power outage duration SAIDI (minutes)

20.9

23.2

CAIDI (minutes)

78.2

70.6

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

4.21%

4.40%

Total length of leased fibre optic infrastructure

4,986km

4,416km

Total length of fibre optic infrastructure

4,279km

4,158km

Newly built fibre optic infrastructure

121km

253km

Number of buildings disconnected

3,210

3,756

   

Employee

  

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

25%

26%

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

36%

37%

Employees on a fixed-term employment contract (number)

592

598

Percentage of men on a fixed-term employment contract

81%

80%

Percentage of women on a fixed-term employment contract

19%

20%

Employees on a permanent employment contract (number)

5,571

5,383

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)

5,799

5,683

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

88%

88%

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

11%

12%

Employees on an agency/contract staff contract (number)

1,151

1,067

Percentage of men on an agency/contract staff contract

83%

83%

Percentage of women on an agency/contract staff contract

16%

17%

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

1,514

1,362

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

53%

51%

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

47%

49%

Total workforce (number)

7,313

7,122

Total internal employees (FTEs)

5,991

5,881

Total agency/contract workers (FTEs)

1,172

980

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

99.93%

99.93%

Inflow of male employees (number)

539

574

Inflow of female employees (number)

133

139

Outflow of male employees (number)

381

414

Outflow of female employees (number)

91

99

Employees aged <25 years

113

125

Employees aged ≥55 years

1,577

1,560

Employees aged 25-35 years

1,288

1,319

Employees aged 35-45 years

1,790

1,673

Employees aged 45-55 years

1,395

1,380

Employees in leadership positions (number)

469

470

Male employees (number)

4,959

4,866

Female employees (number)

1,203

1,191

Percentage of female employees in leadership positions

28.1%

29.0%

People with poor employment prospects (number)

62

108

Gender pay ratio

101.3%

100.7%

Sickness absence rate

4,6%

3.9%

Sickness absence rate among women

4.4%

4.3%

Sickness absence rate among men

5.4%

3.9%

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

51

32

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

33

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

1,789

1,511

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

205

156

   

Environment

  

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

€ 0

€ 3,000

Number of environmental incidents reported to the relevant authorities

9

3

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

1

1

Water consumption (m3)

6,029

25,473

Office waste: paper (tonnes)

736

815

Office waste: secure shredding service paper (tonnes)

51

60

Office waste: miscellaneous (tonnes)

239

324

Office waste: paper (tonnes)

9

1

Industrial waste: metal (tonnes)

7,044

7,252

Industrial waste: wood (tonnes)

288

228

Industrial waste: plastic (tonnes)

723

740

Industrial waste: soil (tonnes)

1,023

1,734

Industrial waste: miscellaneous (tonnes)

4,788

4,252

Hazardous waste (tonnes)

926

616

Waste: total weight for the year (tonnes)

15,828

16,021

   

Governance and Society

  

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

€ 1,518,625

€ 568,575

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

1 closed, 0 ongoing

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

€ 25,000

€ 3,000

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)

5

4

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 Certificate

HSE Checklist

 

HSE Checklist

CO2 performance ladder

 

CO2 performance ladder

ISO 55001 Asset Management

 

ISO 55001 Asset Management