Discover the Acea Group online 2019 Sustainability Report
Energy consumption
THE GROUP’S ENERGY CONSUMPTION
Total direct and indirect energy consumption amounted to about 12,000 TJ, a slight decrease of 5% compared to 2018, mainly due to the decrease in direct consumption at San Vittore del Lazio (see table no. 57). Indirect consumption, on the other hand, increased by 5%, in consideration of the consumption associated with the plants acquired by Gori, previously managed by the Campania Region. The data shown in table no. 59 show the slight reduction of the losses of the electricity distribution grid, attributable to the transformation and transport phases of energy, and the contraction in consumption for public lighting, equal to 17%, related to the replacement of traditional lamps with LED systems.
It should also be pointed out that, for the third year running, the electricity consumption of the main companies, in particular consumption linked to waste management plants, the distribution of drinking and non-drinking water, purification and consumption for the work sites, for a total of approximately 424 GWh, was certified as coming from renewable sources (certification by means of the Guarantees of Origin – GOs) (table no. 58).
Trends in energy consumption intensity indices are shown in table no. 59.
TABLE NO. 57 – DIRECT ENERGY CONSUMPTION OF THE MAIN COMPANIES IN THE GROUP (2017-2019)
| ENERGY PER SOURCE | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
| TJ (GWh) | |||
| RDF/SSF and pulper (waste-to-energy) – renewable share(*) | 3,638.0 (1,010.6) | 3,665.5 (1,018.2) | 3,283.0 (911.9) |
| biogas (100% renewable – waste management and water segment)(**) | 207.2 (57.6) | 206.3 (57.3) | 243.9 (67.7) |
| RDF/SSF and pulper (waste-to-energy) – non-renewable share (*) | 3,584.6 (995.7) | 3,857.6 (1,076.6) | 3,280.8 (911.3) |
| methane (for electricity generation, district heating, water area dryers and heating for offices(***) | 732.0 (203.3) | 965.6 (268.2) | 1,077.0 (299.2) |
| PG (heating) | 0.8 (0.2) | 0.2 (0.1) | 0.7 (0.2) |
| diesel (for electricity generation and other uses, composting plants) | 48.4 (13.4) | 22.8 (6.3) | 38.1 (10.6) |
| petrol (road haulage) | 3.0 (0.8) | 3.5 (1.0) | 3.8 (1.1) |
| diesel (road haulage) | 129.6 (36.0) | 124.4 (34.6) | 109.1 (30.3) |
| total | 8,343.5 (2,317.7) | 8,863.9 (2,462.2) | 8,036.4 (2,232.3) |
(*) The figures for 2018 were adjusted due to a mistake in the calculations.
(**) The figures for 2018 were adjusted to also include biogas produced and consumed at the anaerobic digesters of Acea Ato 2 and Gori.
(***) The figures for 2018 have been restated to include Gori’s consumption.
NOTE The energy produced by the Group plants and fed into the network is illustrated in the Environmental Accounts (Products – Energy Segment).
TABLE NO. 58 – INDIRECT ENERGY CONSUMPTION OF THE MAIN COMPANIES IN THE GROUP (2017-2019)
| TYPES OF INDIRECT CONSUMPTION | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
| TJ (GWh) | |||
| electrical energy losses on the distribution networks and transport | 1,244.9 (345.8) | 1,204.6 (334.6) | 1,188.4 (330.1) |
| losses and self-consumption in the production of electrical energy(*) | 232.5 (64.6) | 245.5 (68.2) | 233.1 (64.8) |
| losses of heat in the district heating network | 72.5 (20.1) | 104.1 (28.9) | 109.7 (30.5) |
| consumption for public lighting | 416.3 (115.6) | 302.3 (84.0) | 252.3 (70.1) |
| electrical consumption for waste management plants(**) | 27.5 (7.7) | 28.5 (7.9) | 31.2 (8.7) |
| electricity consumption for distribution of drinking water(*) (***) | 1,252.2 (347.8) | 1,161.7 (322.7) | 1,356.1 (376.7) |
| electricity consumption for effluent purification(*) (***) | 712.8 (198.0) | 751.0 (208.6) | 817.4 (227.1) |
| consumption of electrical energy for the offices(**) | 36.1 (10.0) | 34.8 (9.7) | 32.4 (9.0) |
| total indirect energy consumption | 3,994.9 (1,109.6) | 3,832.6 (896.6) | 4,020.6 (1,117.0) |
(*) The figures for the two-year period 2017-2018 have been restated to include those of Gori to make them comparable.
(**) Energy with GO certification (Guarantee of Origin).
(***) 68% of the energy used is GO-certified. (Guarantee of Origin).
TABLE NO. 59 – ENERGY INTENSITY INDICES (2017-2019)
| ENERGY CONSUMPTION INTENSITY INDEX | m.u. | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
| electrical energy consumed for public lighting per lamp (*) | TJ/lamp | 0.0019 | 0.0013 | 0.0011 |
| total electrical energy consumed by Acea Ato 2, Acea Ato 5, Gori and Gesesa for water supplied (**) | TJ/Mm3 | 4.3783 | 4.3124 | 4.8639 |
| electrical energy consumed by Acea Ato 2, Acea Ato 5, Gori and Gesesa for sewer service per km of sewer network | TJ/km | 0.0144 | 0.0168 | 0.0148 |
(*) The decrease in the intensity index is due to the 17% decrease in consumption for public lighting, thanks to the completion of the replacement of lamps with LED lamps.
(**) The increase in electricity consumption for water delivered in 2019 compared to the previous two years is mainly due to the increases in electricity consumption in Gori, since in 2019 it acquired the management of several plants previously owned by the Campania Region.
ENERGY CONSUMPTION OUTSIDE OF THE GROUP
Since 2015, Acea has been monitoring energy consumption outside the Group along the supply chain using specific questionnaires. In December 2019 the questionnaire was sent to 117 suppliers, the most representative in relation to the orders value for the year. Thanks to the results from 40 of those contacted (equal to 32% of the total Acea expenditure for the procurement of goods/services and works), their total energy consumption was estimated at approximately 298,043 GJ.