Fuel preparation (front end) and power production
GRI 103 Management approach (103-1, 103-2, 103-3)
Relevance
A key part of Alpiq’s core business is power production from flexible climate-friendly Swiss hydropower and CO2-free nuclear energy.
In Switzerland, Alpiq has a 40 % share in Kernkraftwerk Gösgen-Däniken AG (KKG) and a 27.4 % share in Kernkraftwerk Leibstadt AG (KKL). Alpiq holds the executive management mandate for KKG. Both power plants are partner power plants. This means that the shareholders take over the entire energy production and reimburse the resulting annual costs in return.
Alpiq also has a 33 % share in Kernkraftwerk-Beteiligungsgesellschaft AG (KBG), which owns energy drawing rights from the EDF French nuclear fleet. Alpiq holds the executive management mandate for KBG. The French energy group EDF is the sole owner of its nuclear fleet and so is responsible for the operation and safety of the plants therein.
Management approach
Alpiq has no fully consolidated participations in nuclear power plants. However, as Alpiq is very aware of its responsibility and obligation towards the environment and society, and as the GRI prescribes no specific standards in relation to nuclear power plants, the impact of the nuclear participations on sustainability is published in this specific chapter.
Assessment
The nuclear power plants in which Alpiq holds shares were operated safely and reliably in 2019 and 2020. The production data for 2019 and for 2020 can be retrieved from the Alpiq Ltd. Annual Reports of 2019 & 2020. Besides electricity production KKG provides the nearby industry with climate friendly produced process steam.
The uranium used at KKG comes from Australia and Canada. When the nuclear fuel is procured, all suppliers are assessed with regard to their product quality, security of supply, environmental compatibility, transparency of the supply chain and economic efficiency. In 2019 nuclear fresh fuel of 24.8 tons has been inserted at KKG and 33.0 tons at KKL.
The Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI) is the Swiss supervisory authority responsible for Swiss nuclear power plants. In the safety assessment published for 2019 (ENSI AN-10650), ENSI assesses KKG and KKL to be safe plants.