Fuel preparation (front end) and power production
Management approach
GRI 103
(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 low-carbon nuclear energy.
In Switzerland, Alpiq has 40 % shares in Kernkraftwerk Gösgen-Däniken AG (KKG), 27.4 % in Kernkraftwerk Leibstadt AG (KKL) and 33 % in Kernkraftwerk-Beteiligungsgesellschaft AG (KBG). Alpiq holds the executive management mandate for KKG and KBG.
KKG and KKL are partner power plants. This means that the shareholders take over the entire energy production and reimburse the resulting annual costs in return. KBG has energy purchasing rights in the EDF French nuclear park. The French energy group EDF is the sole owner of its nuclear power plant and is thus solely responsible for the operation and safety of the facilities.
Management approach
Alpiq has no fully consolidated shareholdings in nuclear power plants. As Alpiq is, however, very aware of its responsibility and obligation towards the environment and society and GRI prescribes no specific standards in relation to nuclear power plants, the impact of nuclear energy on sustainability is published in this specific section.
Assessment
The nuclear power plants in which Alpiq holds shares were operated safely and reliably in 2020 and 2021. The production data for 2020 and 2021 can be found in the Alpiq Holding Ltd. Annual Reports for 2020 and 2021. (Hyperlink) In addition to power production, the KKG supplies the neighbouring industry with climate-friendly process steam. The indirect CO2 emissions for 2020 and 2021 are listed in ”Emissions” (GRI 305).
The uranium in the nuclear fuel used at KKG, for which Alpiq has the management mandate, 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 KKG 24.8 t of fresh fuel has inserted in 2020 and also in 2021, in KKL 39.1 t in 2020 and 24.4 t in 2021.
The Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI) is the Swiss supervisory authority responsible for Swiss nuclear power plants. In the safety assessment published for 2020 (ENSI Oversight Report 2020, ENSI-AN-10960) and 2021, ENSI assessed KKG and KKL to be safe facilities. The ENSI Oversight Report 2021 will be published mid-2022.