THE STORY BEHIND THE FIGURES ACTIVITIES REPORT 2008
24 CHALLENGING
02 SERVING 03 Preface
05 A bit of history
07 Management bodies
08 LEADING 10 Part of a world leader in energy
12 Market leader in the Benelux
14 PRODUCING 16 Historical energy producer and supplier in Belgium
19 Electricity and natural gas for 5.6 million customers
21 Diversifi ed generating facilities of 11 500 MW
23 Trading and portfolio management
24 CHALLENGING 26 Sustainable energy production and supply
27 Sustainable energy production
27 Renewable energy for 1 million households by 2015
30 Use continuously less fuel
31 Reducing global environmental impact
34 Sustainable energy supply
34 Saving up to 30% on energy consumption
and own CO2-free production
36 250 000 customers opt for green energy
37 Research and innovation, essential links
38 INSPIRING40 Social involvement
40 Active player on the job market
41 Opportunities for employees
42 Support integration on the job market
42 Safety, always a priority
43 Improving relationships with stakeholders
44 Partnerships in solidarity and environmental protection
45 Exemplary function
46 APPENDICES
CONTENT
Electrabel, Activities report 2008“The story behind the fi gures” refl ects Electrabel’s position
within the GDF SUEZ Group. The report describes the company’s
activities and its most important core fi gures in Belgium. The
details relate to the year 2008, except for the fi gures on the
production capacity refl ecting the situation mid-2009 after the
exchange of generation assets with E.ON.
1Electrabel Activities report 2008
A company at the service of the public
This Activities Report marks the beginning of a
new era in the history of Electrabel, as it is the
fi rst such report since the merger between GDF
and SUEZ went ahead on 22 July 2008. The mer-
ger, which saw the emergence of a world player
in energy, has brought many changes for our
company, both operational and organizational.
In the course of this report, the reader will
become acquainted with the Electrabel of today,
its position within the GDF SUEZ Group, its
prospects and ambitions.
GDF SUEZ is organized into six business lines, of which
GDF SUEZ Energy Europe & International is one. This
business line comprises fi ve business areas that are
demarcated geographically. Electrabel develops many
im portant activities within the GDF SUEZ Energy Benelux
& Germany business area. Electrabel is also the brand
name under which the Group positions itself as a
producer of electricity and a seller of electricity and
natural gas in the Benelux. On this market, we have
nearly 9 000 employees, generating capacity of nearly
16 000 MW and more than 6 million industrial, business
and residential customers.
In this environment that is experiencing deep-going
changes, our company has many advantages to offer.
To begin with, our operational excellence: members of
staff who, each day afresh, put their know-how
and experience at the disposal of our customers, and
who enjoy impressive opportunities for personal and
career development within GDF SUEZ. Furthermore,
we have balanced, diversifi ed and effi cient generating
facilities, recently augmented with new gas-fi red
power stations in Belgium and the Netherlands.
On top of this, there are currently large coal-fi red
power stations, cogeneration units and biomass units
under construction in Belgium, the Netherlands and
Germany. Lastly, there are our customers, to whom we
offer solutions that are ever more fi nely tuned to their
requirements, and who have placed their confi dence in
us over the years.
8 750 ELECTRABELEMPLOYEESsupply electricity and natural gas daily to
SIX MILLION CUSTOMERS
SERVING
2 3Electrabel Activities report 2008Electrabel Activities report 2008Electrabel Activities report 2008 32
Let us be clear: Belgium can no longer be consi-
dered as an isolated market for electricity. Our
country, along with the Netherlands, Germany
and France, forms the “electricity hub” of North-
West Europe, where electricity prices are con-
verging to a large extent. It is, therefore, only to
be expected that GDF SUEZ approaches its
investments and manages its facilities in a global
way within this integrated market, especially wit-
hin the Benelux-Germany region.
Nevertheless, this report focuses mainly on giving
a detailed picture of our positions and activities in
Belgium. This is a deliberate choice on our part:
Belgium is the country in which we have our roots,
and, mindful of the Group’s history, we still have
considerable market share there.
However, our market share in Belgium has been
reduced as a result of various initiatives by the
Group to open up the Belgian market to new
operators. We currently hold about 65% of the
market for electricity generation. This development
– which is mainly symbolic, as national fi gures do
not mean much on the unifi ed market – does not
alter the Group’s overall position. It mainly refl ects
the capacity swap agreement with the E.ON Group,
under which the capacity that we have ceded in
Belgium is offset by new capacity acquired in
Germany. On the completion of this operation,
GDF SUEZ has 10% of the market for electricity
generation in the Benelux-Germany region.
For Electrabel in Belgium, the past few months
also saw the introduction of an ambitious plan for
combating climate change under the slogan
“Together for less CO2”. Under the terms of this
plan, we have made various commitments. To
invest in renewable energy sources so as to supply
1 million households with green energy by the year
2015. To further improve the environmental perfor-
mance of our conventional generating facilities by,
among other things, making our carbon footprint
even smaller and reducing polluting emissions
even more. And, lastly, to cut down the CO2 emis-
sions of our day-to-day activities other than electri-
city generation. However, it doesn’t stop there, as
we have invited our industrial, business and resi-
dential customers to join us in this project.
The fi rst results are more than encouraging. In
2008, we invested € 250 million in reducing our
CO2 emissions, structurally avoiding emissions of
456 000 tonnes of CO2 as a result. In addition, we
have increased the proportion of renewable
energy sources in our generating mix and produ-
ced 1.9 TWh of electricity that is 100% renewable
and 100% Belgian - enough to supply more than
530 000 households. And, when it comes to our
day-to-day activities, we are already a quarter of
the way towards our goal. All these efforts have
not gone unnoticed by our customers: in the
space of six months, nearly 250 000 residential
customers have opted for our GreenPlus pro-
duct, making Electrabel the largest green energy
supplier in the country.
Now, we have to continue these efforts. We must
not allow the current economic and fi nancial crisis
to knock us off course. GDF SUEZ will continue to
invest and recruit in order to meet these challen-
ges, along with its customers, both in Belgium and
in all the other markets where we are present.
Brussels, September 2009
A BIT OF HISTORYThe public limited company Electrabel
was established on 8 August 1905, called
‘Electriciteitsmaatschappij der Schelde (Société
d’Électricité de l’Escaut)’.
In 1956, the Electriciteitsmaatschappij der
Schelde merged with three other companies
and the ‘Verenigde Energiebedrijven van het
Scheldeland’, abbreviated as Ebes, came into
existence.
By this time, after numerous mergers, the ‘Société
Intercommunale Belge d’Électricité’, or Intercom,
established in 1901, had grown into one of the
most important energy companies in Belgium.
In addition, the fusion of further energy
companies ensured that a third large private
energy group, Unerg, came into existence
in 1976.
On 10 July 1990, the exceptional general
assembly of Ebes and Intercom authorized a
regrouping into a single private company,
whereby Unerg’s activities could be incorpo-
rated over time. Several smaller businesses
were also involved in this operation. The name
Ebes was changed to Electrabel at this stage.
The company’s activities –energy sales, elec-
tricity production and network exploitation
(distribution and transmission)– were then lim-
ited to Belgium.
By the end of the 90s, the company’s activities,
to which the energy trading then belonged,
achieved a European dimension. Electrabel Sophie Dutordoir Jean-Pierre HansenDirector – General Manager Chief Executive Offi cer
4 Electrabel Activities report 2008 5
established subsidiaries in the Netherlands,
Luxembourg, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal,
Poland, Hungary and Germany and entered into
partnerships with local energy companies. The
company developed into a European player which
carried its operational and commercial activities
out mainly under the Electrabel brand name.
On 10 July 2007, SUEZ, an important immediate
and indirect shareholder for many years,
became 100% owner of the company after a
public squeeze-out bid on the Electrabel-shares
it did not as yet own. The Electrabel share
was therefore withdrawn from the Euronext
Brussels stock exchange after a listing of
seventeen years.
On 24 July that same year, Electrabel took
over SUEZ’s participation in SUEZ-TRACTEBEL
–this entailed, amongst other things, SUEZ’s
international energy activities– whereby the
company’s horizons expanded across many
continents.
The Gaz de France and SUEZ general share-
holders’ meetings approved the merger of both
groups on 16 July 2008. The establishment of the
international energy company GDF SUEZ was ac-
companied by a new organization that reclassifi ed
and regrouped the activities of both groups.
The public limited company Electrabel continued
to exist as a separate legal entity, with a range of
direct and indirect participations in subsidiaries
within and outside Europe. However, the activi-
ties carried out under the brand name Electrabel,
GDF SUEZ Group, were, from that moment on-
wards, limited to the Benelux region.
Electrabel
Strategy Committee
Chairman:
Jean-Pierre HANSEN
Members:
Jean-François CIRELLI
Gérard MESTRALLET
Emmanuel van INNIS
Alain CHAIGNEAU
Jean-Marie DAUGER
Gérard LAMARCHE
Baron VANDEPUTTE
Baron VAN WAEYENBERGE
Audit Committee
Chairman:
Baron CROES
Members:
Gérard LAMARCHE
Jean-Pierre RUQUOIS
Appointment and
Remuneration Committee
Chairman:
Gérard MESTRALLET
Members:
Baroness VAN den BERGHE
Baron VANDEPUTTE
Joint statutory auditors
DELOITTE Company auditors
Represented by:
Laurent BOXUS and
Philip MAEYAERT
Company auditors
ERNST & YOUNG Company auditors
Represented by:
Pierre ANCIAUX and
Vincent ETIENNE
Company auditors
Board of Directors
Chairman:
Jean-François CIRELLI
Chief Executive Offi cer
and Vice-Chairman:
Jean-Pierre HANSEN1
Vice-Chairmen:
Gérard MESTRALLET
Emmanuel van INNIS
Directors:
Dirk BEEUWSAERT
Alain CHAIGNEAU
Baron CROES
Jean-Marie DAUGER
Pierre DRION
Sophie DUTORDOIR
Yves de GAULLE
Baron van GYSEL de MEISE
Luc HUJOEL
Gérard LAMARCHE
Jean-Pierre RUQUOIS
Baroness VAN den BERGHE
Baron VANDEPUTTE
Baron VAN WAEYENBERGE
Geert VERSNICK
Secretary to the Board:
Patrick van der BEKEN PASTEEL
MANAGEMENT BODIES
1 The Board of Directors has delegated the operational management of the company to the Chief Executive Offi cer and suffi cient special authority to enable him to carry out operational management duties.
6 Electrabel Activities report 2008 7Electrabel Activities report 2008
Being part of the world-wide energy group GDF SUEZ gives Electrabel powerful trump cards to develop its energy activities in the Benelux. As the market leader, the company sold
97 000 GWh OF ELECTRICITY AND 72 000 GWh OF NATURAL GAS in this region in 2008
01LEADING 8 Electrabel Activities report 2008 | LEADING 9LEADING | Electrabel Activities report 2008
Electrabel forms part of GDF SUEZ, one of
the leading energy providers in the world,
active across the entire energy value chain,
in electricity and natural gas, upstream to
downstream.
The GDF SUEZ Group develops its businesses
(energy, energy services and environment) around
a responsible-growth model to take up the great
challenges: responding to energy needs, fi ghting
against climate change and maximizing the use
of resources. The Group relies on diversifi ed
supply sources, as well as fl exible and highly
effi cient power generation, in order to provide
innovative energy solutions to individuals, cities
and businesses.
The GDF SUEZ Group is organized into six business
lines: fi ve in energy and one in environment.
The business line GDF SUEZ Energy Europe &
International comprises fi ve business areas that
are demarcated geographically.
The GDF SUEZ Energy Benelux & Germany
business area is responsible for the production
of electricity and the sale of electricity, natural
gas and energy services in Belgium, the
Netherlands, Luxembourg and Germany,
where it is also responsible for portfolio
management. In the Benelux, where the Group
wants to consolidate market leadership, the
operational tasks are carried out by and under
the brand name Electrabel, GDF SUEZ Group
(in Luxembourg, electricity production takes
place under the brand name Twinerg, GDF
SUEZ Group). In Germany, where GDF SUEZ
Energie Deutschland is responsible for the
activities under the brand name GDF SUEZ, the
Group aims to further develop its activities and
reinforce its position. Major industrial customers
active in multiple countries are supplied under
the brand name GDF SUEZ Global Energy.
Part of a WORLD LEADER IN ENERGY
GDF SUEZ: organization
Energy FranceEnergy Europe
& International
Global Gas
& LNG
SUEZ
EnvironnementInfrastructures Energy Services
Energy Benelux
& GermanyEnergy Europe Energy
Latin America
Energy
Middle East, Asia
& Africa
Energy
North America
GDF SUEZ
GDF SUEZ: key fi gures 2008
200 000 employees throughout the world incl. 134 600 in energy and energy services
and 65 400 in environment
68 400 MW of installed power-production capacity
€ 83.1 billion in 2008 revenues
1 200 researchers and experts at 8 research & development centres
Electricity: No.1 independent producer
in the world
• 5th largest producer and marketer in Europe
• 1st in Belgium, 2nd in France
Natural gas and infrastructures:
No.1 in Europe
• 1st gas buyer in Europe
• 1st transmission and distribution network
• 2nd largest storage operator
Liquefi ed natural gas (LNG):
No.1 in the world
• 1st buyer and importer in Europe
• 2nd largest LNG terminal operator in Europe
• 1st importer in the United States
Energy Services: No. 1 in Europe
• 1st supplier of energy effi ciency and
environmental services in Europe
Environmental Services: No.2 in the world
• 2nd supplier of water and waste management
services in the world
10 Electrabel Activities report 2008 | LEADING 11LEADING | Electrabel Activities report 2008
GermanyElectricity sales: 10 684 GWhNatural gas sales: 3 417 GWhGenerating capacity: 1 977 MWCapacity renewable energy: 15 MWEmployees: 395
Executive committee The Group’s energy activities in the GDF SUEZ Energy Benelux & Germany business area are conducted under the
leadership of Sophie Dutordoir, Chief Executive Offi cer, who chairs the meetings of the Executive Committee. This
Committee groups the managers of the operational and functional departments. It is composed as follows (situation at
20 July 2009):
Patrick Baeten: Legal affairs, Alfred Becquaert: HR & IT, Eric Bosman: Portfolio Management, Chris De Groof: Strategy and Sustainable Development, Sophie Dutordoir: CEO, Fernand Grifnée: Communications, Jean-Pierre Hansen: Chief Executive Offi cer Electrabel, Alfred Hofman: The Netherlands and Germany, Marc Josz: Marketing & Sales Belgium and Luxembourg, Louis Martens: Finance, Michel Sirat: TPM Europe, Philippe Van Troeye: Generation Belgium and Luxembourg
The NetherlandsElectricity sales: 23 307 GWhNatural gas sales: 13 303 GWhGenerating capacity: 4 067 MW*Capacity renewable energy: 71 MW Employees: 1 184
* This fi gure takes into account 270 MW
of drawing rights at disposal of E.ON
(see page 17)
BelgiumElectricity sales: 70 022 GWhNatural gas sales: 58 690 GWhGenerating capacity: 11 532 MWCapacity renewable energy: 410 MWEmployees: 7 548
LuxembourgElectricity sales: 4 092 GWhGenerating capacity: 376 MWEmployees: 21
Electrabel in Benelux:key fi gures
• largest electricity producer in Belgium
• largest electricity supplier in Belgium
• second largest natural gas supplier in Belgium
• largest producer and supplier
of green electricity in Belgium
• largest electricity producer in the Netherlands
8 750 employees 3.9 million electricity customers
2.15 million natural gas customers97 400 GWh of electricity sales
72 000 GWh of natural gas sales16 000 MW of generating capacity
Business area GDF SUEZ Energy Benelux & Germany : key fi gures
9 150 employees 4 million electricity customers2.2 million natural gas customers113 000 GWh of electricity sales*76 000 GWh of natural gas sales*17 950 MW of generating capacity
* includes sales of 5 TWh electricity and 0.5 TWh natural gas outside the area
MARKET LEADER IN THE BENELUX
In this market, the company sells electricity, natural
gas, energy products and energy services to
residential, professional and industrial customers and
public institutions. It also generates electricity and
heat in a diversifi ed production park. These activities
are supported and optimized by portfolio management
and trading operations of the GDF SUEZ Group on
the European and international energy markets.
Electrabel supplies electricity and natural gas to six
million customers in the Benelux. It sold 97 400 GWh
of electricity and 72 000 GWh of natural gas on this
market in 2008. The company offers its customers
innovative energy solutions with added value and a
customized service. To develop energy products and
services, it gets the most out of the synergy between
electricity and natural gas offered by the GDF SUEZ
Group.
The company manages diversifi ed generating
facilities of 16 000 MW in the Benelux. They consist
of power stations using renewable energy sources,
power stations working on fossil fuels, such as
natural gas and coal, pumped storage power stations
and nuclear power stations. Electrabel continuously
invests in upgrading its existing generating facilities
and the building of new production units, whereby a
lot of attention is given to renewable energy sources
and low-carbon production methods. The emission
of greenhouse gases by the production park is one of
the lowest in Europe. New development projects in
Belgium (Amercoeur CCGT-power station, 420 MW;
Sidmar conventional power station, 305 MW …) and
in the Netherlands (Flevo CCGT-power station,
872 MW; high-yield coal power station in Rotterdam,
736 MW …) ensure that Electrabel has suffi cient
generating capacity in the Benelux and maintains a
balance between its sales and production portfolio.
Electrabel has 8 750 employees in the Benelux region.
The company is constantly recruiting new employees
and offers numerous opportunities to enable them
to build a challenging and enriching career within the
international GDF SUEZ Group.
12 Electrabel Activities report 2008 | LEADING 13LEADING | Electrabel Activities report 2008
The market leadership of Electrabel has grown historically.To date, the company remains the
LARGEST PRODUCERAND SUPPLIER OF ELECTRICITY IN BELGIUM.70% OF USERS choose Electrabel as energy supplier
02PRODUCING
14 Electrabel Activities report 2008 | PRODUCING PRODUCING | Electrabel Activities report 2008 15
HistoricalENERGY PRODUCERAND SUPPLIER in Belgium
Electrabel in Belgium: key fi gures
Sales
Electricity sales 70 000 GWh
Natural gas sales 58 700 GWh
Electricity customers 3.7 million
Natural gas customers 1.9 million
Generation
Generating capacity 11 532 MW
Electricity generation 65 000 GWh
Heat generation 6 250 GWh
Renewable energy
Generating capacity 410 MW
Share in total generating capacity 3.6%
Share in total electricity generation 2.9%
Staff
Employees 7 548
form of drawing rights on the Doel and Tihange
nuclear power stations (of which 270 MW are
supplied in the Netherlands). In exchange, the
GDF SUEZ Group acquired approximately
1 700 MW of generating capacity in Germany
whereby it has better balanced its sales and
production portfolio on the German energy
market and strengthened its market position.
Share in generating capacity in Belgium
in %
Electrabel is the historical producer and
supplier of energy in Belgium. The company
can boast more than a century’s experience in
generating and selling energy. Today, it is the
largest supplier of electricity in the country,
the second largest supplier of natural gas
and the largest producer of electricity.
Following the liberalization of the energy mar-
kets, the company completely dismantled and
transferred its earlier operational distribution
and transmission network activities in Belgium
in the period 2001-2008 to newly established
independent businesses. Electrabel also contri-
buted to a better competitive position of other
electricity producers on the Belgian market, by
exchanging and providing a part of its genera-
ting capacity.
Contributing to more competition in the area
of production
In 2009, the electricity producers SPE and
E.ON acquired approximately 2 000 MW of the
generating capacity from Electrabel, whereby the
competition on the energy market signifi cantly
increased in Belgium. This operation constituted
a part of the commitments that the GDF SUEZ
Group and Electrabel made in 2006 following
the merger announced between GDF and SUEZ.
The share of the company in generating capacity
in Belgium, which amounted to approximately
83% at the end of 2008, will therefore fall to
64% in 2010.
SPE, the second largest electricity producer
in Belgium, which already owned a share of
161.5 MW in the capacity of the Doel and
Tihange nuclear power stations, acquired addi-
tional nuclear power of 350 MW.
The German power company E.ON acquired
941 MW of Electrabel’s production means by
purchasing the Langerlo conventional power
station and the Vilvoorde CCGT power station,
as well as 770 MW of nuclear capacity in the
Others Electrabel
Environment
Share of generating capacityCO2 emission-free 52.8%
Share of electricity generation CO2 emission-free 64.2%
Emission of CO2 209 g/kWh
Emission of SO2 109 mg/kWh
Emission of NOx 151 mg/kWh
Management
Share of generating capacity certifi ed ISO/EMAS* 89.1%
Share of electricity generation certifi ed ISO/EMAS* 89.7%
* power stations operated by Electrabel
16 Electrabel Activities report 2008 | PRODUCING 17
Electrabel sells electricity and natural gas to
5.6 million residential, professional and in-
dustrial customers in Belgium.
In 2008, the sales volumes, wholesale included,
amounted to 70 TWh of electricity (28% re-
tail, 64% business and 8% wholesale) and
58.7 TWh of natural gas (68% retail, 29%
business and 3% wholesale). The sales vol-
umes of the company depend on the size of
its customer portfolio, the general economic
situation which specifi cally infl uences industri-
al customers’ energy consumption, the harsh-
ness of the winter months and customers’ ef-
forts to make rational use of energy.
In Flanders, where the energy markets have
been completely free since 1 July 2003,
Electrabel has a market share of 66.9% for
electricity and 69.7% for natural gas. In Wallonia
and Brussels, where the energy markets have
only been open for all users since 1 January
2007, its market share amounts to respectively
60.2% and 94.6% for electricity and 55.9% and
94.1% for natural gas. The market share of the
company in Belgium as a whole amounted to
67.9% for electricity and 70.2% for natural gas
(fi gures at the end of 2008, expressed in total
number supply points; source: CREG).
Electrabel uses various channels to inform and
advise customers, as well as to answer their
questions. The website www.electrabel.be
pro vides –in addition to information on the
products on offer– numerous practical tools to
limit energy consumption, to consult invoices,
to accomplish formalities, for example, when
relocating… (see page 34). The call centre,
that the company has expanded since 1999,
now employs almost a thousand. In 2008, 279
new staff were hired to reinforce the services.
With the same purpose, Electrabel started
establishing new contact points in the big cities.
In 2009, it is opening the fi rst ‘Electrabel shops’
in Antwerp and Brussels. In 2010, a third will
open its doors in Namur. The shops supplement
its network of existing offi ces, for example, at
De Post/La Poste. Industrial customers are
invited to contact their account manager. The
company works together with accredited
partners who are all specialists in their energy
domain.
ELECTRICITY AND NATURAL GASFOR 5.6 MILLION CUSTOMERS
Energy distribution and transmission
independent
The liberalization of the energy market in
Belgium led to the unbundling of the production
and sales activities, on the one hand, and the
net activities, on the other. In 2001, Electrabel
transferred its former activities in the area of
the high voltage network for electricity to the
newly established company Elia. Its activities
with regard to the electricity and natural gas dis-
tribution networks in Flanders and in Brussels
were taken over in 2006 by Eandis and Brussels
Network Operations (BNO) respectively.
These businesses operate on behalf of the
distribution system operators (DSOs, the for-
mer intermunicipal companies) which were
appointed for the exploitation, the mainte-
nance and the development of the distribution
networks. A similar operation followed later in
Wallonia. In that region, the Opérateur des
Réseaux Gaz & Électricité (ORES) has been in
charge of managing the distribution networks
from 2009. The minority shares that Electrabel
still has in Elia and in the distribution system op-
erators will be phased out gradually.
Organization of the net activities in Belgium
Activity Body in charge Executor
Shares that
Electrabel has
in the capital
Electricity transmission* Elia Elia 24.35% in Elia
Electricity and natural gas distribution in Flanders
Distribution system operators**
Eandis30% in the mixed DSOs
Electricity and natural gas distribution in Brussels
Sibelga BNO 30% in Sibelga
Electricity and natural gas distribution in Wallonia
Distribution system operators**
ORES30% in the mixed DSOs
* The transmission of natural gas is undertaken by the company Fluxys (Electrabel has a 44.75% share
via SUEZ-TRACTEBEL).
** The previous intermunicipal companies were appointed as distribution system operators.
Natural gas sales
by Electrabel in Belgium
in TWh - wholesale included
Electricity sales
by Electrabel in Belgium
in TWh - wholesale included
18 Electrabel Activities report 2008 | PRODUCING 19PRODUCING | Electrabel Activities report 2008
In Belgium, Electrabel has a generating
capacity of 11 532 MW. The composition
of the production park is an example of the
GDF SUEZ Group strategy of having a diversifi ed
park in the area of technology and fuels.
The generating facilities must offer an answer
to today’s energy-challenges. This consists of
securing a guaranteed supply for customers, at
economically acceptable and stable conditions
and with respect for the environment, and
in particular climate change.
The company manages its generating facilities
dynamically. It continuously undertakes moder-
nization using the most energy-effi cient and least
environmentally taxing techniques.
52.8% of the capacity of the park in Belgium
consists of CO2-free power stations (nuclear
power stations, pumped storage power stations,
renewable energy) and 23% of CO2-poor
power stations (natural gas-fi red CCGT-units and
combined heat and power).
Electrabel has over forty years’ experience with
nuclear power and is one of the most important
operators in Europe in this fi eld. In Belgium, it
has seven nuclear reactors in Doel and Tihange.
These have a total capacity of 5 865 MW and
ensure 54% of the total electricity production in
Belgium.
The company also heads the pack in the area of
cogeneration: its generating capacity in Belgium
comprises of more than 750 MW that was
mostly established in cooperation with its
industrial customers. Electrabel has also acquired
important knowledge concerning the combined
cycle gas turbine technology. In the past 10 years,
the company has built six CCGT-power stations
in Belgium.
The importance of renewable energy sources
(wind energy, hydroelectric energy, biomass, solar
energy) in Electrabel’s production park increases
every year. In fi ve years’ time, the company tripled
its renewable capacity in Belgium from 140 MW
to 410 MW. By 2015, Electrabel aims to have
suffi cient capacity to supply 1 million households
completely with green electricity.
In 2008, Electrabel’s power stations produced
65 000 GWh of electricity and 6 254 GWh
of heat. 64.2% of the electricity generation
occurred without CO2 emissions. The quantity
of carbon dioxide that the park emits per
produced kilowatt-hour is among the lowest in
Europe (see page 29).
The electricity and natural gas prices in
Belgium
The electricity and natural gas prices for residential
customers in Belgium are compiled from various
components: the energy price, the distribution
and transmission charges and the surcharges
and the VAT. Like all energy suppliers, Electrabel
only determines the energy price component,
which forms approximately half of the total price
for electricity and two-thirds for natural gas. This
price component strongly depends (especially for
natural gas) on the fuel costs on the international
markets (coal, natural gas, fuel oil) which can
rise and fall considerably at short notice. These
fl uctuations are then refl ected –with some delay–
in the electricity and natural gas prices for the
customer.
In 2008, the increase in fuel prices, which
continued from mid-2007 to the fi rst half of the
year, along with the increased network tariffs,
caused an increase of up to 20-25% in electricity
prices and of up to 40% in natural gas prices. The
fall in fuel prices in the second half of the year
only had a positive effect on the energy price
component in 2009 due to the lagged effect.
A similar, inverse, mechanism takes place with
price increases as a result of an increase in fuel
prices.
All information on the price formulae offered by
Electrabel to its customers can be found on the
website www.electrabel.be.
For industrial customers, the wholesale prices
on the electricity markets –the Benelux, France
and Germany forms one integrated wholesale
market– determine the most important price
trends. These depend on, amongst other things,
trends in fuel prices, the CO2 price and the
balance between supply and demand.
DIVERSIFIED GENERATING FACILITIESOF 11 500 MW
Generating capacity of Electrabel in Belgium
in GW
The important drop in 2009 is the result of handing over capacity to SPE and E.ON (see page 17)
Composition of electricity and natural gas
prices for residential customers in Belgium
in % - year 2008 - distribution system operator IMEWO - electricity 3 500 kWh/year - natural gas 23 250 kWh/year
VAT, surcharges Transmission Distribution Energy (includes for natural gas the transmission costs)
Electricity and fuel market prices
January 2007 = 100
Coal (API#2) Natural gas (Grp) Oil (Brent IPE) Electricity
(baseload, Y+1)
250
200
150
100
50
0
January
2007
July
2007
January
2008
July
2008
July
2009
January
2009
20 Electrabel Activities report 2008 | PRODUCING 21PRODUCING | Electrabel Activities report 2008
Electrabel’s operational activities in Belgium
(production and sales of energy) are supported
by the trading and portfolio management
activities of GDF SUEZ.
The Group is active on all trading markets in
Europe where it sells and purchases electricity,
fuels, CO2 credits … Portfolio Management
assures the supply of power stations with fuels
and ensures an optimal use of the means of
production.
As a result of these activities, Electrabel is able
to offer its customers in Belgium, who want
to actively manage and optimize their energy
portfolio, a complete and diverse competitive
offer of innovative risk management products
and services in the area of the supply of energy
commodities, customized complex solutions,
green products, emission rights ...
TRADING AND PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT
Nuclear power station CCGT Conventional power station
Combined heat and power
Energy recovery, gas turbine, turbojet
Hydroelectric power station, wind farm, photovoltaic panel
Pumped storage power station
Nuclear fuel Natural gas Coal Biomass, hydroelectric, wind, photovoltaic
Oil, waste, blast furnace gas
Pumped storage
Share of power stations
in Electrabel's generating
capacity in Belgium
mid-2009
Share of power stations
in Electrabel’s electricity
generation in Belgium
2008
Share of fuels in Electrabel’s
generating capacity
in Belgium
mid-2009
Share of fuels in Electrabel’s
electricity generation
in Belgium
2008
Zandvliet Power
Herdersbrug
Rodenhuize
Drogenbos
Doel
Kallo
Ruien
Saint-Ghislain Amercoeur
Plate Taille
Tihange
Awirs
Coo
Mol
Generating facilities of Electrabel in Belgium
conventional power stations, CCGT, combined heat and power, nuclear power stations – mid-2009
CCGT Combined heat and power Conventional power station Nuclear power station Pumped storage power station
22 Electrabel Activities report 2008 | PRODUCING 23
We have never backed away from the environmental challenges that energy companies face.
64% OF THE ENERGY THAT WE PRODUCE IS CO2-FREE. Electrabel also helps its customers to limit their energyconsumption and reduce their carbon footprint. The main purpose?
TO SAVE 30% OF ENERGY
03 CHALLENGING
Electrabel Activities report 2008 | CHALLENGING24 25CHALLENGING | Electrabel Activities report 2008
Sustainable ENERGY PRODUCTION and supply
Electrabel’s 10 commitments within the scope of its ‘Together for less CO2’ plan• to produce electricity from renewable energy sources in Belgium
for one million households by 2015
• to invest 500 million euros by 2015 to improve the energy effi ciency
of conventional power plants
• to continue to limit the overall environmental impact of generation activities
• to help customers reduce their energy consumption by up to 30%
• to work with customers in a way that they produce low CO2 energy
• to offer a range of green energy
• to encourage mobility using natural gas and electricity
• to maintain a dialogue with stakeholders in a transparent way
• to reduce the CO2 emissions of daily activities by 21%
• to encourage research and development of non-polluting technologies
Electrabel is the largest producer and supplier
of green electricity in Belgium. At the end of
2008, the company had 464 MW in wind
farms, hydroelectric power plants, biomass
plants and photovoltaic panels. Together, this
produced 1 859 GWh, enough to cover the
electricity consumption of 530 000 households
(annual consumption of 3 500 kWh/family).
Electrabel’s ambition is to have a produc-
tion park in Belgium with renewable energy
sources that, by 2015, will be suffi cient to
supply 1 million families entirely with green
energy. In order to achieve this, it is aiming
to install 600 MW of additional generating
capacity in seven years. As with other pro-
jects, the decision to invest in renewable
energy projects depends on their economic
profi tability, as well as their social and ecological
acceptance.
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY PRODUCTION
Renewable energy-based electricity production of Electrabel in Belgium
in GWh
2008 2007 2008 / 2007
Hydroelectric 73 74 -1.4%
Wind 147 116 +26.7%
Biomass 1 638 1 217 +34.6%
Photovoltaic 0.7 0
Total 1 859 1 407 +32.1%
Renewable energy for 1 million households by 2015
Sustainable development has a central
position in the strategy of the entire
GDF SUEZ Group. Its activities are inextrica-
bly linked with the environmental problems
and the challenges society is faced with. The
Group can provide energy and environmen-
tal solutions necessary for a sustainable de-
velopment of society and the economy. GDF
SUEZ’s ambition is to become one of the
most important references for sustainable
development in the utilities sector.
Electrabel contributes to the global objectives
of the Group throughout its range of activities.
The company strives to combine economic,
social and ecological concerns in the most
optimal manner. Already, in 1995, ten years
before the entry into force of the Kyoto
Protocol, Electrabel defi ned a strategy and
a plan for the rational use of energy and the
management of CO2 emissions, looking
towards 2005. In 2008, the company took an
important new initiative. In October, it launched
its Belgian plan ‘Together for less CO2’ where
it made ten commitments to reduce its own
emissions of greenhouse gases and to help
customers to reduce their energy consumption
and ecological footprint. The plan –which runs
over the period 2008-2015– is supported by
balanced choices, with a focus on guaranteeing
supply at an economically acceptable price and
with respect for the environment, in particular
climate change.
Renewable energy-based generating capacity of Electrabel in Belgium
in MW - *under construction included
Mid-2009* 2008 2007
Hydroelectric 22 22 22
Wind 115 101 67
Biomass 285 340 314
Photovoltaic 3 1 0
Total 425 464 403
26 Electrabel Activities report 2008 | CHALLENGING 27CHALLENGING | Electrabel Activities report 2008
Generating capacity of Electrabel in Belgium
in MW - renewable energy - *under construction included
(for more details on the plants, see page 48: composition of generating facilities)
Electrabel is active in all areas of renewable energy
and is supported by the wealth of experience
present within the GDF SUEZ Group that globally
has more than 12 500 MW of renewable energy-
based capacity.
Since 1930, the company has been producing
electricity from hydroelectric power plants.
Because the hydroelectric energy potential in
Belgium is almost entirely utilized, it strives for an
optimal exploitation of its existing plants.
In case of wind energy, it has developed both
onshore projects –such as along the E40, in
conjunction with the railway infrastructure
company Infrabel and the cities of Sint-Truiden
and Landen, where Electrabel wants to construct
one of the largest wind farms in Belgium (40 to
60 MW)– as well as offshore projects.
In the area of biomass, Electrabel is one of the
most important and most experienced players in
Europe. It burns 1.5 million tonnes of biomass per
year in its power stations in Belgium. The sustain-
able character of a biomass type is a key factor in
the company’s decision to use it. Electrabel does
not burn any palm oil, for example, because its sus-
tainability is disputed given that palm plantations
destroy the primary forests in the countries where
it is produced. In order to guarantee the sustain-
ability of biomass, the company has established
a certifi cation procedure together with its scien-
tifi c and technical competence centre Laborelec.
In 2008, Electrabel also commissioned a new
laboratory at Laborelec to optimize the incinera-
tion of biomass and test new biomass types. In
2005, Electrabel claimed a world-fi rst by convert-
ing the Awirs coal power station to run entirely on
biomass (80 MW). The company also started a
project to transform an existing unit at Rodenhuize
power station into a 100% biomass plant with a
capacity of 180 MW.
Electrabel is present throughout the entire
photovoltaic chain, amongst other things, via
its shares in the companies Photovoltech and
Soltech. The company has established a project
to install 11 MW photovoltaic panels with its
industrial customers. The fi rst instances of this,
for example the Honda Belgium Factory in Aalst,
have been part of its production park since 2008.
In order to speed up the installation of PV panels,
Electrabel developed the Joint Venture Green
Solar Project in which customers may participate.
Photovoltaic Biomass Hydroelectric Wind
0
100
200
300
400
500
Pathoekeweg
Izegem
Dour
Quévy*
Perwez
Gembloux
Büllingen
Ford Genk*
BASF
Bütgenbach
Hoogstraten
Awirs
Lanaken
Mol
Kasterlee
Schelle
Rodenhuize
Volvo
Wondelgem
Ruien
Generating facilities of Electrabel in Belgium
renewable energy – mid-2009
Hydroelectric Photovoltaic Biomass (co-)combustion Wind (*under construction)
Offshore wind energy
Electrabel was the fi rst company that
proposed actual plans for building a wind
farm for the Belgian coast in the North
Sea. In 2002, it received, together with
the company Jan De Nul, a permit for
the construction of the Seanergy wind
farm (100 MW). In 2005, this permit was
revoked by the minister responsible for
the marine environment, because of the
incompatibility of the project with a new
‘Sustainable Control Plan of the North Sea’
that determines zones for the positioning
of wind farms. An appeal against this
decision is currently under way.
In 2008, the same partners submitted two
requests to the CREG for concessions to
build the wind turbine farms Blue4Power I
and Blue4Power II. With the fi rst farm,
Electrabel wants to construct the largest
offshore wind turbine farm in Belgium.
If the concessions are granted and the
project is deemed to be economically and
technically viable, the fi rst wind turbines
could be commissioned in 2012.
28 Electrabel Activities report 2008 | CHALLENGING 29CHALLENGING | Electrabel Activities report 2008
Limiting the quantity of polluting substances that
its power stations emit into the atmosphere is
an ongoing priority for Electrabel. The company
has consistently been successful in Belgium sin-
ce 1990 in reducing the emissions of SO2, NOx
and dust per produced kilowatt-hour every year.
This is the result of the investment in new high-
yield power stations and the modernization of
old power stations, the use of environmentally-
friendly fuels and renewable energy sources,
research into environmentally-friendly techni-
ques and the optimal industrial control of the
production units, as well as installing emission-
reducing equipment (low NOx-burners, deSOx
and deNOx, electrostatic precipitators). In 2008,
the commissioning of the new installations to re-
move sulphur and nitrogen from fl ue gases in the
Ruien coal power station, was largely responsi-
ble for the reduction of specifi c SO2- and NOx-
emissions of the generating facilities by 40 to
60% compared to 2007. In 2008, the emissions
from Electrabel’s generating facilities in Belgium
amounted to 209 g CO2/kWh, 109 mg SO2/kWh,
151 mg NOx/kWh and 6 mg dust/kWh. A list de-
tailing environmental indicators relating to the
production park may be found on page 51.
Due to the continuous modernization of the pro-
duction park, Electrabel’s power stations use
less and less energy to produce electricity. The
units fed by fossil fuels already had an average
yield of 42.2% in 2008, which means an increase
of 19% since 1990. This saves on fossil fuels and
ensures a drop in the environmental impact.
The company is shutting down power stations
that no longer comply with effi ciency and en-
vironmental criteria, including, in 2008 a coal
group in the Mol power station. Electrabel is also
modernizing existing power stations, such as the
Amercoeur power plant where it converted an old
coal group into a natural gas fi red CCGT-power
station of 420 MW with a yield of 57%. Electrabel
is also investing in new production units, such as
the 305 MW-power station Knippegroen on the
ArcelorMittal (Sidmar) site in Ghent that will in-
cinerate the blast furnace gases of the steel mill,
and cogeneration units at Lanxess (58 MW) and
Evonik Degussa (21 MW) in the Port of Antwerp.
Use continuously less fuel
Reducing global environmental impact
Emissions per kWh generated by Electrabel’s
generating facilities in Belgium
1990 = 100
With the best in Europe
The Electrabel generating facilities in Belgium emitted on average 209 grams of CO2 per
produced kilowatt-hour of electricity in 2008. As a result, in this fi eld, the company is one of
the best performing energy companies in Europe.
1.7 million tonnes less CO2
By investing in renewable energies and in the improved effi ciency of its conventional
power stations, Electrabel wants to reduce its generating facilities’ emissions in the period
2008-2014 by 1.7 million tonnes of CO2 (in comparison with the quantity that the generating
facilities of 2007 would have emitted in this period with a constant rate of electricity
production). In 2008, the company was successful in avoiding the emission of 450 000
tonnes of CO2 by closing down a part of the coal incineration in the Mol power station and
the doubling of the wood pellets incineration in the Rodenhuize power station.
CO2 emissions
in grams of CO2/kWh - year 2007(Electrabel, year 2008) - source: PwC
Effi ciency of Electrabel’s fossil-fuelled
power stations in Belgium in %
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
90 95 00 05 06 07 08
CO2
NOx
SO2
30 Electrabel Activities report 2008 | CHALLENGING 31CHALLENGING | Electrabel Activities report 2008
The company also takes measures to limit its
environmental impact on water, soil, noise,
waste and biodiversity. For example, the power
stations use environmentally-friendly water
treatment techniques (such as membranous
fi ltration to produce demineralized water) and
the full quantity of produced fl y ash, bottom ash
and fl ue gas desulphurization gypsum is re-used
(400 kilotonnes in 2008).
In 2009, Electrabel started to cooperate
with conservation organizations to assess
the biodiversity of its sites and to implement
appropriate management. The company is also
open to utilizing possibilities that it can offer to
protect biodiversity. The most striking example
is the reintroduction of the Peregrine falcon in
Belgium, where it has been extinct for many
decades. The Preservation Fund for Birds of
Prey (FIR) has placed nesting boxes on chimneys
and cooling towers of the power plants for this
purpose. This has been successful: since the
start of the project, in 1995, Electrabel’s power
plants in Belgium have counted more than 300
Peregrine chicks.
89% of the generating capacity operated by
Electrabel in Belgium is certifi ed as conforming
to the environmental management system stan-
dard ISO 14001. The Doel and Tihange nuclear
power plants are also registered in the European
Environmental Management and Audit Scheme
(EMAS). These systems contribute to the ma-
nagement of environmental impact. They are
aimed at continuous improvement and stimulate
the company to ever-higher environmental goals.
In Luxembourg, the Esch-sur-Alzette CCGT-plant
achieved a triple certifi cate in 2008: ISO 14001,
combined with the ISO 9001 (quality) and OHSAS
18001 (safety) certifi cates.
Room for nuclear energy in a sustainable
energy mix
In Belgium, Electrabel operates seven nucle-
ar reactors, four at the Doel nuclear plant and
three at the Tihange nuclear plant. The opera-
tional performance of this nuclear park is at a
high level, with an average availability of almost
90% over the last fi ve years. Nuclear power
plants supply 37.9% of the company’s gener-
ating capacity and 59.2% of its production in
Belgium and form one of the basic components
of its diversifi ed energy mix. Nuclear energy of-
fers several advantages (production of large
quantities of electricity without CO2 emissions;
saving on fossil fuels; stable uranium supply …)
and makes an important contribution towards
meeting energy and environmental challenges.
Irrespective of the Belgian government’s future
decisions concerning the life expectancy of the
nuclear power plants, Electrabel continues to
operate them with safety as its highest prior-
ity. Within the GDF SUEZ Group, the company
continues to improve its nuclear expertise and
experience, as well as providing training for its
employees and supporting the Group’s nuclear
development program.
The operation of nuclear power plants causes
the production of radioactive waste and dis-
charges into the environment. In 2008,
the quantity of low- and medium-level ra-
dioactive waste produced by the Doel and
Tihange nuclear power plants amounted to
6.4 m3/TWh (which corresponds to a volume
of two AA torch batteries per household per
year). This drop of 55% compared to 1990 is
the result of the efforts of the plants at tech-
nical and organizational level. The radioactive
waste is treated and conditioned in the plant
and then transferred to the Belgian Agency
for Management of Radioactive Waste and
Enriched Fissile Materials (ONDRAF/NIRAS)
which is responsible for its management. The
liquid and gaseous discharges by the nuclear
power plants remain considerably below the
authorized annual limits (see page 51). The
EMAS environmental statements, published
by the Doel and Tihange nuclear power plants
every year, give a detailed summary of the
environmental achievements of the nuclear
power plants.
Environmental policy agreement in Flanders
In 2004, the electricity generating companies
and the Flemish Region signed an agreement
regarding the reduction of emissions of SO2 and
NOx from the power stations over the period
2005-2013. A fi rst phase expires at the end of
2009; the parties involved are negotiating an ex-
tension of the agreement.
The purpose of the agreement is to signifi cant-
ly reduce the annually emitted quantities in
Flanders. This implies, for example, that in 2013
the emissions of SO2 should be reduced by 94%
and those of NOx should drop by 77% compared
to the reference year 1990. The offi cial reports
for the 2005-2007 period indicate that the pro-
ducers complied with their commitment.
Environmental policy agreement Flanders
SO2 emissions by power stationsin tonnes – period 2005-2013
Emissions Objective
NOx emissions by power stationsin tonnes – period 2005-2013
Emissions Objective
30 000
25 000
20 000
15 000
10 000
5 000
0
30 000
25 000
20 000
15 000
10 000
5 000
005 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13
32 Electrabel Activities report 2008 | CHALLENGING 33CHALLENGING | Electrabel Activities report 2008
Electrabel offers its customers a modular range of services that consists of energy savings,
low-carbon energy auto-production and green power use. Additionally, the company helps
industrial customers, interested in CO2 emission credits, to compensate for their emissions.
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY SUPPLY
Saving up to 30% on energy consumption and own CO2-free production
Electrabel assists its customers in limiting their
energy consumption and emissions, as well as
to reduce their carbon footprint. The company
offers residential and business customers a
range of energy services by means of which they
can continuously follow-up and manage their
energy consumption. It offers these services,
which it constantly expands and optimizes, on
www.electrabel.be, where they can, to a certain
extent, also be used online.
Customers who want to generate their own
electricity and heat using a low-CO2 method, can
approach the company for information, advice and
support. On the website, residential customers
will, for instance, fi nd calculation modules and
information on subsidies with which they can
calculate the profi tability of an investment in
renewable energy, in particular photovoltaic
panels.
Together with its industrial customers, Electrabel
realizes customized projects (cogeneration, wind
turbines, photovoltaic installations …). With Volvo
Europa Truck in Ghent, the company came up with
the fi rst factory in the world that assembles trucks
with zero CO2 emissions due to a combination
of energy savings, energy production with wind
Consumption
meter
Follow consumption online month-by-month, indicate the required savings and compare consumption with that of a comparable household and home.
Home Optimizer Discover online which habits and equipment use energy excessively and, consequently, do not permit savings; identify the most important measures that will make a difference.
Check-up call An energy expert discusses by phone the trend and the optimization of the energy consumption.
Energy Audit An expert drops by to analyse the energy consumption of the house and to offer customized solutions.
CO2 tool Calculate the annual CO2 emission of the family online and get tips for improvement.
PV Guide Receive support in making the correct choices when placing photovoltaic panels to ensure an optimal investment.
PV Comfort Ensures regular maintenance of photovoltaic installations, resulting in better yield and longer life expectancy.
Energy scan A complete energy audit that analyses all energy fl ows in an organization and provides an accurate description of the savings that can be made.
Spot advice Makes a diagnosis on site on an issue at an energy installation and gives advice on the best solutions.
Start to Save Offers a personalizable module-based concept for internal communication to make staff aware of the rational use of energy.
Energy Kronos Follow and manage energy consumption (electricity and natural gas) online and determine the effect of energy saving measures.
turbines, biomass and photovoltaic panels, and the
use of green energy. At ArcelorMittal (Sidmar), it
constructed a power plant that will burn the steel
company’s blast furnace gas. The excess hydrogen
gas (H2) produced by Monsanto, is incinerated in
a cogeneration power unit, allowing the chemical
company to produce part of its electricity without
CO2 emissions.
Examples of the energy and environmental services offered by Electrabel
Energy
saving
Low-carbon
equipment
Green electricity Compensation
Helping customers to increase the energy effi ciency of their buildings/applications/processes
Advising customers on adopting energy saving behaviour
Helping customers to select, buy and install renewable or low-carbon fossil-fuelled electricity generating or heating devices
Offering green electricity products mainly generated by our renewable energy plants and certifi ed installations, such as:
• GreenPlus for resi-dential customers
• Professional Green for the self-em-ployed and Partner Green for SMEs
• AlpEnergie for industrial customers
Offering high-quality products to industrial customers interested in carbon credits
34 Electrabel Activities report 2008 | CHALLENGING 35CHALLENGING | Electrabel Activities report 2008
250 000 customers opt for green energy Electrabel has a specifi c green energy offer for
every type of customer category. The GreenPlus,
Professional Green and Partner Green products
–launched in October 2008 for households,
entrepreneurs and small and medium sized
companies– comprise the supply of 100%
renewable energy, 100% produced in Belgium.
The independent organization Vinçotte validates
the origin and source of the green electricity each
year. By mid-2009, more than 220 000 families,
as well as 30 000 self-employees and SME’s, had
entered into a green contract with Electrabel.
The company offers its industrial customers
and public administrations AlpEnergie, green
current originating from the hydroelectric power
plants of the GDF SUEZ Group in France, of
which the origin is certifi ed by the Technischer
Überwachungs-Verein (TUV). In 2008, Electrabel
sold 2.74 TWh electricity under the AlpEnergie
label in Belgium. About 600 companies, cities
and municipalities including Danone, Delhaize,
Telenet, the National Lottery, Antwerp Zoo,
Bruges and Visé chose AlpEnergie.
With the renewable energy source-
installations they operate, Electrabel and the
GDF SUEZ Group (410 MW in Belgium and
almost 6 000 MW in Europe overall), the company
is able to offer its customers large quantities of
green current at a competitive price. In 2008,
190 Flemish municipalities opted for Electrabel
as their electricity supplier, following a public
tendering procedure for their electricity supplies
that had to comprise 60% green energy.
Electrabel and green mobilityRoad transport in Belgium is responsible
for approximately a fi fth of the country’s
emissions of greenhouse gases. By switching
over from conventional fuels (petrol, diesel) to
electricity and natural gas, the transport sector
can reduce its carbon footprint. Electrabel
encourages the use and the development of
vehicles using natural gas or electricity. The
company has a low CO2-emission production
park which is an important plus-point with
regard to the supply of electric vehicles.
In 2008, Electrabel opened three natural
gas fi lling stations for the public in Bruges,
Mechelen and Antwerp. Within its own fl eet,
it tests the performance and characteristics of
electric vehicles. The company therefore also
cooperates with the Natuurpunt environmental
organization to whom it provided an electric
vehicle that emits scarcely 34 grams of CO2
per driven kilometre, including the required
electricity production. Electrabel also enters
into partnerships with vehicle manufacturers
for the development of more environmentally-
friendly vehicles and supports research
into the optimization of the management of
electric vehicle fl eets.
In 2008, the company also implemented
a new mobility policy for its employees.
This promotes and encourages limitations
on mobility, the use of public transport and
choosing environmentally-friendly transport
with little or no CO2 emissions. In 2008,
the new vehicles leased for use by its staff
discharged an average of 139 grams of
CO2/km into the air, a fall of 14% compared to
emissions in 2007.
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION, ESSENTIAL LINKS
The GDF SUEZ Group has extensive experience
in the area of Research and Development.
1 200 employees are active in 8 research
centres. In Belgium, Laborelec, Electrabel’s
technical and scientifi c competence centre,
counts 249 employees. Apart from its own
research activities, Electrabel also participates
in other GDF SUEZ Group research projects
and forms partnerships to study promising
technologies and to expand and enhance the
extent of its R&D activities. The company also
will set up a Scientifi c Advisory Committee for
this purpose which will consist of members of
both the Belgian and international academic
worlds.
The research areas are diverse and seek
to improve the energy and environmental
achievements of the generating facilities, fi nd
innovative, sustainable, futuristic applications
and solutions, as well as focus on the rational
use of energy:
• combustion potential of new sustainable
biomass types
• the potential of Concentrated Solar Power
(CSP) technology for energy production
• more effi cient fourth generation nuclear
power plants
• the capture and storage of CO2 from fl ue
gas (Carbon Capture and Storage)
• coal power plants with a yield exceeding 50%
• energy audits
• performance of micro-networks fed by wind
turbines and solar panels
• …
Thanks to its research activities, Electrabel can
offer complex, global and integrated solutions
concerning energy problems and the climate issue.
The company’s expertise in the area of energy-
effi ciency, renewable energies, environmental
impact and electricity networks has, for example,
made it possible to construct the Princess
Elisabeth research station in Antarctica and to
ensure that it can operate completely autono-
mously, without any CO2 emissions or waste, at
extreme temperatures of -40°C.
36 Electrabel Activities report 2008 | CHALLENGING 37
Our concern for people and their environment goes further. With the recent
RECRUITMENT OF 1 600 NEW EMPLOYEES and the skills of our existing staff –more than 600 000 training hours in 2008– we are also armed to satisfy our customers tomorrow
04INSPIRING
38 Electrabel Activities report 2008 | INSPIRING 39INSPIRING | Electrabel Activities report 2008
Due to the nature of its activities, Electrabel
is embedded within the economic and social
fabric of society.
Electrabel is an active supplier of energy and
energy services that keeps in close contact with
its customers (families, public administrations,
small- and medium-sized businesses, large
industrial companies), suppliers and social groups
(legislative authorities and governments, the
scientifi c and academic world, opinion makers,
professional organizations, trades unions,
associations …). The company’s numerous
electricity power plants characterize the landscape
and evoke a trusted image for those living in the
neighbourhood. Electrabel and the GDF SUEZ
Group are also important local and regional
employers. Implementing and anticipating the
expectations of its stakeholders are essential
factors for the company’s further development.
SOCIAL involvement
Active player on the job market
At the end of 2008, Electrabel (including its
Belgian subsidiaries) employed 7 548 persons
in Belgium. The company also provides
signifi cant indirect employment. 29% of the
staff are in a management role, 32% female
and almost 30% under 30 years of age. The
company has an active recruitment policy to
replace the large number of employees who
will leave the company at their pensionable
age in the coming years, to man new
electricity power plants and to support the
nuclear and other activities of the GDF SUEZ
Group. In 2008, Electrabel recruited almost
1 650 new employees in Belgium. Additional
recruitment of 500 to 800 is anticipated for the
period 2009-2010. To fi nd and locate suitable
candidates, Electrabel makes a deliberate
effort to directly approach the competitive job
market, amongst other things, by organizing
specifi c job days, job events and open-door
days. Job hunters can search for vacancies
on the company’s website and apply online
(www.electrabel.be/career).
The GDF SUEZ Group has also signed an
agreement with the ministries of education
(both Dutch- and French-speaking) to support
the education of students and teachers by
means of practical training in the company and
to promote technical professions among young
people.
Staff numbers of Electrabel in Belgium
in active service - Belgian subsidiaries included
The signifi cant drop in staff numbers in 2008 is a consequence of the transfer of more than 1 800 employees to the new network company, ORES.
Age structure of Electrabel’s staff in Belgium
in active service end of 2008 - Belgian subsidiaries included
Opportunities for employeesThe company offers its employees extensive
options to follow customized training and
to take up new functions to orientate and
build their careers. In 2008, more than
600 000 hours of technical and general trai-
ning were followed in Belgium and 45% of
the 1 500 outstanding vacancies were fi lled
via internal candidates. Internal mobility is
not only restricted to Belgium, but is spread
across the entire GDF SUEZ Group. Staff are
encouraged to participate in the improvement
of the working conditions. In 2006, Electrabel
launched the ‘Wellbeing at Work’ project,
which led to several practical changes being
suggested by the employees themselves,
which were systematically implemented
(participation in Taxistop, offering professional
home assistance for the care of sick children,
childcare in crèches …). The company aims at
upgrading the project on a regular basis in line
with its employees’ needs.
Women Men
>55
50-54
45-49
40-44
35-39
30-34
25-29
<25
0 300 600 900 1 200 1 500
40 Electrabel Activities report 2008 | INSPIRING 41INSPIRING | Electrabel Activities report 2008
Support integration on the job marketElectrabel helps groups of people who fi nd it
diffi cult to integrate into the job market. This
initiative complies with the ‘Corporate Social
Responsibility’ policy as promoted by the
GDF SUEZ Group.
The company, in consultation with the regional
labour services, employs persons with modest
qualifi cations, disabled persons, as well as
people who have temporarily left the job
market. It offers them a temporary employment
contract accompanied by a specifi c supervision
route with coaching and training. At the end of
their contract period, some employees remain
with Electrabel; others have a stronger foot to
stand on in the job market.
At the beginning of 2009, GDF SUEZ also
entered into a partnership with the Belgian
Paralympic Committee to offer disabled
athletes the opportunity to be employed within
Electrabel and other businesses of the Group
in Belgium.
Safety, always a priorityElectrabel’s workplace Health & Safety
Policy is based on the principle of continuous
improvement. This is achieved and takes
concrete shape thanks to the implementation of
a Global Prevention Plan. As far back as 1995, the
company was already elaborating its fi rst Global
Plan, thus anticipating its legal obligations at the
time. Since then, three consecutive fi ve-year
plans have enabled the company to structure
its approach to Health, Safety and Wellbeing in
the workplace, as well as to durably improve its
results in terms of safety indicators. In 2008,
in Belgium, Electrabel recorded its all-time
best results in terms of frequency and severity
rates, 2.70 and 0.05 respectively, marking an
improvement of over 80% in ten years. The
2010-2015 Global Plan, elaborated in 2008-
2009, should allow the company to consolidate
its achievements, as well as to succeed in the
challenge of managing the human element and
human behaviour.
Safety indicators Electrabel (Belgium)
subsidiaries not included
Electrabel strives towards having sustainable
and fruitful relationships with its stakeholders,
based on mutual respect and objectivity, and
wishes to keep them informed and to involve
them in its activities. In the ambit of its CO2
action plan, the company is in the process
of establishing a Sustainable Development
Advisory Board consisting of representatives
of economic, social and environmental groups
to refl ect the interests of Belgian society.
Electrabel also enters into discussions with
neighbourhood groups (discussion board in
the Doel power plant, comité de riverains of
the Tihange power plant …), organizes open
days and information sessions (for example,
in relation to projects for new wind farms) and
distributes specifi c brochures to keep those
in the immediate vicinity of power plants
informed of the most important developments
and activities.
Anyone who would like to know more about
the company and how it produces electricity
can visit some of Electrabel’s power plants.
Every year, around 20 000 persons make use
of this opportunity.
Improvingrelationshipswith stakeholders
Nuclear safety
Operating safety at its Doel and Tihange
nuclear power stations is a constant
concern for Electrabel. The company has
included this priority in its procedures, and
it sets in motion actions and projects that
focus on safety. Its own employees, as
well as employees of external companies
are continuously educated and trained
(in 2008, the number of training hours
totalled 50 000, a lot of them using
simulators). Internal and external controls
are conducted on a regular basis to make
sure the efforts attain the desired results.
In early 2009, an OSART audit from the
International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA), executed at the request of the
Belgian government, confi rmed the high
safety level of the Tihange nuclear power
plant. This inspection compares the safety
of the investigated power plant with the
best global practices. Turning to the Doel
nuclear power station, nuclear experts
visiting the station as part of a WANO Peer
Review examined the practices in place
and their report also was very positive.
International comparisons also show that
Belgian nuclear power plants are situated
among the best in terms of collective
radiation dose.
25 20 15 10 5 00.0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
Sr: severity rate (number of days of absence per thousand hours worked)
Fr: frequency rate (number of loss time accidents per million hours worked)
42 Electrabel Activities report 2008 | INSPIRING 43INSPIRING | Electrabel Activities report 2008
Partnerships in solidarity and environmental protection
Electrabel is an ambassador for the measures
that it proposes to its customers. In 2010, the
company will have reduced the CO2 emissions
of its daily activities by 21% or 9 000 tonnes
compared to 2007 by implementing measures
in the area of energy consumption in buildings,
its purchasing procedures and mobility. In 2008,
the savings realized amounted to 2 000 tonnes.
Current actions undertaken by the company
include, amongst other things, lowering the
basic temperature for starting up the central
heating systems of its buildings, the installation
of photovoltaic panels on the roofs of its buildings
(for example, the head offi ce in Brussels
(5.4 kW) and the Marketing & Sales building
in Namur (8.8 kW)) and using AlpEnergie green
electricity.
Electrabel’s mobility program is aimed at mini-
mizing the amount of travelling and opting for
environmentally-friendly transport. The ‘green
purchases’ plan stipulates environmental and
sustainability criteria for the selection of sup-
pliers, the specifi cation of products and services
and the execution of contracts. Suppliers can
refer to purchasing terms and conditions on the
website www.electrabel.be/suppliers.
The company also encourages its employees
to implement a natural rational use of energy
approach not only professionally but also in
private, amongst other things, by awarding
RUE-trophies which reward the most energy-
saving families.
Exemplary function
In line with the GDF SUEZ Group’s sponsorship
and partnership policy, Electrabel supports
long-term activities for the social rehabilitation
of those who are less fortunate and for the
protection of nature and the environment. The
company does not only seek to be a passive
donor, but also provides logistical support and
makes available its know-how.
Organizations recently supported by Electrabel
include the following:
• the Preservation Fund for Birds of Prey (FIR)
for the reintroduction of the Peregrine falcon
in Belgium;
• the nature organizations, Natuurpunt and
Natagora, for a biodiversity awareness
project;
• the Virelles-Nature association to develop
the Aquascope-Virelles nature discovery
centre on the bank of the Virelles lake;
• the International Polar Foundation (IPF)
for the building of the Princess Elisabeth
zero-emissions scientifi c research centre in
Antarctica;
• the association École et Surdité to promote
the integration of education for students with
hearing disabilities within general education;
• the Mimi Foundation for the supervision and
reintegration of cancer patients in society;
• the Cap48 organization to improve aware-
ness of the diffi culties that handicapped
persons experience with reintegration into
society;
• the Belgian Paralympic Committee (BPC)
to train athletes who participate in the
Paralympics.
Electrabel staff are also active within Energy
Assistance. This non-profi t organization was
established in June 2001, by GDF SUEZ Group
employees. Its members volunteer to help
with humanitarian projects in the energy fi eld
throughout the world.
The fi rst step is making their expertise available
to communities in the Third World to facilitate
their access to essential energy commodities.
This often goes hand in hand with the
reconstruction of a hospital or an orphanage, as
well as the installation of water wells.
44 Electrabel Activities report 2008 | INSPIRING 45INSPIRING | Electrabel Activities report 2008
05APPENDICES
47APPENDICES | Electrabel Activities report 200846 Electrabel Activities report 2008 | APPENDICES
Combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) 1 888
Amercoeur 420 ng
Drogenbos 460 ng
Herdersbrug 460 ng
Saint-Ghislain 350 ng
Zandvliet Power (1) 198 ng
Combined heat and power (CHP) 765
BP Chembel (Geel)(2) 43 ng
Degussa (Antwerp)(2) 43 ng
Fluxys (Zeebruges)(2) 40 ng
Ineos Phenol (Beveren)(2) 23 ng
Langerbrugge 59 ng
Lanxess (Lillo)(2) 43 ng
Lanxess Rubber(2) 58 ng
Monsanto (Antwerp)(2) 43 ng
Oudegem Papier(2) 15 ng
SAPPI (Lanaken)(2) 43 ng
Solvay (Jemeppe-sur-Sambre)(2) 94 ng
Syral (Alost)(2) 48 ng
Total Raffi naderij Antwerpen(2) 154 ng
Gas engines 60 ng, bm
Conventional thermal 2 683
Amercoeur 127 c
Awirs 374 ng, bm
Kallo 522 ng
Mol 255 c
Rodenhuize 526 bfg, c, bm
Ruien(3) 879 ng, c, bm
Gas turbine 108
Drogenbos 78 ng
Mol 30 ng
Turbojet 210
Aalter 18 ke
Beerse 32 ke
Buda 18 ke
Cierreux 17 ke
Deux-Acren 18 ke
Ixelles 18 ke
Noordschote 18 ke
Turon 17 ke
Zedelgem 18 ke
Zeebrugge 18 ke
Zelzate 18 ke
Energy recovery 77
Brussels Energy 45
Indaver (Beveren) 20
Isvag (Wilrijk) 11
Dump 1.8
Nuclear power station 4 368
Doel 2 634
Doel 1 393
Doel 2 433
(1) without share of RWE (50%); functions as a CHP-unit
(2) industrial partnership(3) including gas turbines repowering(4) without share of SPE (10.2%)(5) without share of EDF (50%)(6) agreement with the MET(7) joint venture with Air Energy Fuels bfg gas from blast furnacesbm biomassc coalke kerosene ng natural gas
Power stationNet generating capacity in MW
Main fuels
GENERATING FACILITIESin Belgium
Doel 3(4) 903
Doel 4(4) 905
Tihange 2 334
Tihange 1(5) 481
Tihange 2(4) 905
Tihange 3(4) 947
Drawing right SPE -100
Drawing right EO.N -500
Pumped storage power station 1 307
Coo I 474
Coo II 690
Plate Taille(6) 143
Hydroelectric power station 21.8
Bardonwez 0.035
Bévercé 9.2
Bütgenbach 1.8
Cierreux 0.1
Coo-diversion 0.4
Heid-de-Goreux 8.1
La Vierre 1.9
Lorcé 0.1
Orval 0.05
Stavelot 0.1
Wind farm 100.7
BASF (Antwerp) 12
Büllingen 12
Bütgenbach 8
Dour 6
Gembloux-Sombreffe(7) 9
Hoogstraten 12
Izegem 4
Kasterlee 0.66
Lanaken 8
Pathoekeweg 3
Perwez(7) 7.5
Rodenhuize 4
Schelle 4.5
Volvo (Ghent) 6
Wondelgem 4
Photovoltaic panels 3.15
Beaulieu (Kruishoutem) 1.06
Honda (Alost) 0.89
Other industrial partners 1.20
TOTAL 11 532
a) Electrabel’s generating facilities in Belgium: composition mid-2009
Power stationNet generating capacity in MW
Main fuels
Power stationNet generating capacity in MW
Main fuels Power stationNet generating capacity in MW
Main fuels
48 Electrabel Activities report 2008 | APPENDICES 49APPENDICES | Electrabel Activities report 2008
New generating capacity:
• CCGT-power plant :
Amercoeur (420 MW)
• Combined heat and power:
Lanxess Rubber (58 MW)
• Nuclear power plant:
Tihange (+40 MW)
• Wind energy:
BASF (12 MW)
Büllingen (12 MW)
Dour (6 MW)
Izegem (4 MW)
• Photovoltaic panels:
3.1 MW
New generating capacity under construction:
• Conventional power plant :
ArcelorMittal (Sidmar) (305 MW)
• Combined heat and power :
Evonik Degussa (21 MW)
• Wind energy:
Dour extension (4 MW)
Ford Genk (4 MW)
Quévy (6 MW)
• Photovoltaic panels:
0.1 MW
Reduced capacity:
• CCGT-power plant :
Vilvoorde (385 MW) (sold to E.ON)
• Combined heat and power :
Esso (38.8 MW) (end of partnership)
Bressoux (2.7 MW) (taken out of service)
• Conventional power plant :
Langerlo (602 MW) (sold to E.ON)
• Turbojet:
Schaerbeek (18 MW) (taken out of service)
• Nuclear power plant (see page 17):
250 MW (ceded to SPE)
100 MW (drawing right SPE)
500 MW (drawing right E.ON)
b) Electrabel’s generating facilities in Belgium:most important changes in the period 2008 – mid-2009
c) Electrabel’s generating facilities in Belgium: environmental indicators (1)
2008 2007 2005 2000 1990 1980
Emissions
CO2 kilotonnes 13 772 16 089 19 257 21 222 22 607 31 604
CO2 g/kWh 209 227 273 276 349 666
SO2 tonnes 7 163 17 788 28 536 34 505 94 381 351 643
SO2 mg/kWh 109 251 405 448 1 459 7 405
NOx tonnes 9 973 17 324 24 942 39 169 59 183 87 010
NOx mg/kWh 151 245 354 509 915 1 832
Dust tonnes 426 834 2 353 3 886 10 131 23 730
Dust mg/kWh 6 12 33 51 157 500
Production and valorization of by-products
Fly ash kilotonnes 278 302 365 542 931 1 048
Bottom ash kilotonnes 50 49 57 83 - -
Gypsum (2) kilotonnes 72 60 46 43 - -
Total valorization % 98.8 99.4 101.7 88.9 - -
Production and valorization of waste
Industrial waste (3) tonnes 35 834 77 799 33 745 11 685 - -
Valorization % 31.6 - - - - -
Radioactive waste (4) m3 282 272 181 - - -
Water consumption
Cooling * million m3 105.7 114.1 114.9 - - -
Industrial processes million m3 3.58 3.55 3.51 - - -
Industrial processes m3/MWh 0.054 0.051 0.051 - - -
Energy consumption
Energy yield (5) % 42.2 41.9 40.9 40.9 35.5 36.4
Radioactive discharges (6)
Beta-gamma GBq 27 24 26.25 - - -
Tritium TBq 77 111 84.68 - - -
Aerosols GBq 0.012 0.0144 0.04 - - -
Iodine GBq 0.0874 0.163 0.07 - - -
Noble gases TBq 29 34 14.08 - - -
* Quantity evaporated
(1) The data on the combined heat and power units operated in partnership, in cases where Electrabel is not the owner of the operating license, are not included in the statistics.
In order to give an accurate picture of the performance, the calculation of specifi c emissions is related to all generating facilities, including electricity generation by hydroelectric, wind and nuclear power units, as these do not produce any of the emissions concerned.
In 2008, the specifi c emissions from fossil-fuelled power stations were 658 g CO2/kWh, 342 mg SO2/kWh and 476 mg NOx/kWh.(2) The Langerlo and Ruien power stations are equipped with fl ue gas desulphurization units, which produce gypsum as a by-product. (3) The amount of industrial waste produced in any one year depends to a large extent on demolition work and site clean-up operations. (4) The fi gure represents the production of low and medium level conditioned radioactive waste by the Doel and Tihange nuclear power stations. Volumes depend on the
waste conditioning planning. (5) The fi gure represents the percentage of used fossil fuel energy transformed into electricity by CCGT power stations, combined heat and power units and conventional
thermal power stations.(6) Aggregated fi gures for Doel nuclear power station (Flanders) and Tihange nuclear power station (Wallonia). Annual limits for Doel: 1 480 GBq beta-gamma; 103.6 TBq
tritium; 148 GBq aerosols; 14.8 GBq iodine and 2 960 TBq noble gases. Annual limits for Tihange: 888 GBq beta-gamma; 147.6 TBq tritium; 111 GBq aerosols; 14.8 GBq iodine and 2 220 TBq noble gases.
50 Electrabel Activities report 2008 | APPENDICES 51APPENDICES | Electrabel Activities report 2008
Information
GDF SUEZ Group
GDF SUEZ
16-26, rue du Docteur Lancereaux
75008 Paris, France
www.gdfsuez.com
Tel. + 33 1 57 04 00 00
Publications
• Reference document 2008
• Activities and Sustainable
Development Report 2008
in Dutch, French, English or Spanish
available in PDF-form on
www.gdfsuez.com
Electrabel in the Benelux
Belgium
Electrabel
Boulevard du Régent 8
1000 Brussels, Belgium
www.electrabel.be
Tel. + 32 2 518 61 11
The Netherlands
Electrabel Nederland
Dr. Stolteweg 92
8025 AZ Zwolle, the Netherlands
www.electrabel.nl
Tel. + 31 88 769 29 00
Luxembourg
Twinerg
201, route d’Ehlerange
4108 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
www.twinerg.lu
Tel. + 35 2 26 55 49 1
Sustainable development
Visit www.electrabel.be/sustainable
• Learn everything about the details
of Electrabel’s CO2 plan
• Order or download the Green Book
‘Together for less CO2’
• Subscribe to the newsletter
Environmental declarations EMAS
Nuclear power station Doel
• in Dutch
• in PDF format at
www.electrabel.be
• requests for printed copies:
Nuclear power station Tihange
• in French
• in PDF format at
www.electrabel.be
• requests for printed copies:
Electrabel S.A.
Boulevard du Régent 8
1000 Brussels, Belgium
www.electrabel.be
Tel. + 32 2 518 61 11
Fax + 32 2 518 64 00
TVA BE 0403.170.701 RPR/RPM Brussels
This report is available in Dutch, French and English.
download via www.electrabel.be
request a printed copy:
• www.electrabel.be
• Electrabel
Boulevard du Régent 8
1000 Brussels, Belgium
Tel. + 32 2 518 62 22
Fax + 32 2 518 64 00
Colophon This publication was produced by the Communications
department.
The graphic concept and the production were
assigned to The Crew, Brussels (Belgium).
Photographs: R. de Barse, R. Beckers, J. Breuer, D. Decorte,
IPF, D. Mossiat, O2, A. Pierot, D. Plas, A. Vanlaethem
Printing: Antilope, Lier (Belgium)
Responsible editor: Fernand Grifnée,
Boulevard du Régent 8, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
September 2009
D/2009/7.208/1
This publication was printed entirely on paper certifi ed by the Forest Steward Council (FSC). This organization promotes and guarantees responsible forest management that aims to be economically attractive, environmentally sustainable and socially equitable.The paper supplier has obtained ISO 14001 (environment) and OHSAS 18001 (health and safety) certifi cates.The presses use vegetable ink. Waste paper and cardboard, in addition to used offset plates, are recovered and recycled.
52 Electrabel Activities report 2008 | APPENDICES 53APPENDICES | Electrabel Activities report 2008