Climate
Europe's climate objectives are becoming increasingly ambitious. The urgency of climate measures and their complexity combine to form a challenging environment for TenneT. We are faced with major developments, both now and in the future.
Facilitate the energy transition
TenneT's greatest contribution to realising climate ambitions is to help facilitate the transition from a fossil-based society to a carbon-neutral economy powered by renewable energy sources.
We measure our impact in this area by looking at the number of households that can switch to 100% sustainable electricity. Using this measure, we estimate that by the end of 2021 we will have the equivalent of 9.2 million households will be able to purchase green electricity. This total also includes renewable electricity generated for industrial sectors and exports. We do not achieve these climate figures through our own activities alone. Our partners in the value chain, such as electricity production companies and distribution system operators (DSOs) also contribute. By working together, we will have avoided the equivalent of 10.7 million tonnes of CO2 emissions by 2021.
CO2 footprint
TenneT also measures the climate impact of our own operations. Our grid losses cause the greatest climate impact. They account for 95% of our CO2 footprint. The second biggest impact relates to our operations (offices, substations and mobility) and the third concerns the leakage of SF6 gas. With a number of initiatives addressing these three areas, we aim to be carbon neutral by 2025.
Energy management system
Certification according to DIN EN ISO 50001
As a transmission system operator, resource-conserving, responsible and conscious use of energy is a priority for TenneT. TenneT's energy management system has been certified in accordance with the internationally applicable DIN EN ISO 50001 standard since 2015. We see it as our duty to continuously keep an eye on our own energy consumption, to improve our energy efficiency and to generate and implement further potential savings.
Circularity
For TenneT, circularity is about using scarce materials less, reusing materials and reducing waste.
We need copper, steel, aluminium and many other raw materials to expand our grid. We try to reduce our impact by working in a circular way, reusing raw materials and components as much as possible and minimising waste.
We increase our circularity requirements in our tenders. This means, for example, that suppliers must demonstrate what percentage of their materials is recycled. We are including this type of circularity requirement in our sustainable 'tendering toolkit'.