Production of fossil fuels/ Purchase of biomass
Area for action: environmental protection, value chain
| Activities | Challenges |
| Mining of lignite in our own open cast mines | - Sustainable recultivation of mining areas
- Safeguarding the water resources in the region
- Resettlement of residents at socially acceptable conditions
- Minimising dust and noise emissions
|
| Oil and gas exploration and drilling | - Environmental protection in very sensitive areas (Wadden Sea, North Sea, North Atlantic)
- Handling and disposing of waste from production
- Ethical and transparent business dealings in countries with weak governance
|
| Purchase of biomass | - Sustainable production of wood pellets and other forms of biomass
|
Supply and trading
Area for action: supply chain
| Activities | Challenges |
| Supply and trading with hard coal, natural gas, biomass, electricity, CO2 certificates | - Human rights, social standards and environmental protection in the producing countries
- Sustainable cultivation of biomass in the supply countries
|
Power and heat generation
Area for action: climate protection, environmental protection
| Activities | Challenges |
| Construction and operation of fossil-fired power stations | - Reduction in CO2 emissions
- Limiting the emission of pollutants
- Acceptance of the new construction of power stations
- Treatment and minimisation of the (cooling) water used
- Making the generation portfolio more flexible to adjust to the volatile feed-in of renewable energies
|
| Operation and decommissioning of nuclear power stations | - Safe operation of nuclear power stations
- Disposal of radioactive waste
- Preparation and safe implementation of decommissioning concepts
|
| Construction and operation of hydropower plants and wind farms | - Sustainable water management
- Connection to offshore wind farms
|
| Construction and operation of biomass power stations | - Compliance with national and international requirements for the sustainability of the biomass used including the CO2 footprint and indirect effects on land use
|
Transmission
Area for action: environmental protection
| Activities | Challenges |
| Construction and operation of the natural-gas transmission grid | - Planning of environmentally compatible transmission in new-builds
|
Distribution of electricity and gas
Area for action: security of supply, innovations, environmental protection
| Activities | Challenges |
| Expansion, operation and maintenance of the electricity distribution grid | - Concepts for flexible load distribution and for feed-in of renewable energies
- Expansion of suitable storage capacities
- Uninterrupted supply with electricity
- Bird and nature protection
- Acceptance of grid expansion
|
| Expansion, operation and maintenance of the gas distribution grid | - Uninterrupted supply with gas
|
Sales and use of electricity and gas
Area for action: marketplace and customers, energy efficiency, innovations
| Activities | Challenges |
| Supply of electricity and gas to residential and business customers | - Competitive, individualised and flexible packages
- Development of products and services for energy savings
- Development of service packages for own consumption and for marketing of renewable energies
|
| Supply of electricity and gas to industrial customers | - Support for customers in energy saving
|
| Supply of electricity and gas to municipal utilities | - Support for local authorities in energy saving
|
