Climate Protection

Our long-term goal of a carbon-neutral power supply by 2050 poses enormous challenges. We must invest billions of euros in lowering the carbon dioxide (CO₂) emitted per megawatt hour of electricity generated without jeopardising security of supply or the commercial viability of power generation.

We are working hard to make the generation of electricity from fossil fuels both more efficient and less carbon-intensive. We intend to have all our new gasand coal-fired power stations with a combined capacity of more than 12,400 MW on stream by 2014. The expansion of renewables is another key element in our strategy. Our aim is to have 4,500 MW of renewables- based capacity either under construction or in operation by 2014. Our goal is to use physical and financial measures to lower our CO₂ exposure to the average level of the competition in our markets no later than 2020.

Progress

The modernisation of our generation portfolio is progressing well. Our new combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power stations at Lingen in Germany and Staythorpe in the UK both came on stream in 2010. Important milestones have been reached in the expansion of renewables, too, which now account for 4 % of the electricity we generate compared with 3.5 % in 2009. Our specific emission factor fell from 0.796 metric tons CO₂ per megawatt hour of electricity ge-nerated (mt CO₂/MWh) in 2009 to 0.732 mt CO₂/MWh in 2010.

Objectives in Climate Protection