Wiener Stadtwerke Annual Report 2012

installed output of over 310 megawatts. This investment
provides Wien Energie with power-drawing rights based on
market prices, as a result of which the Group‘s entire electricity
production from hydropower increased by 45 percent during
the financial year
Wind power
Wien Energie has been relying on wind power since 1997 and,
combining its own wind farms and its investments, has a
current installed output totalling 60 megawatts.
Biomass
Due to the extensive domestic availability and the mature
electricity generating technology now existing, biomass power
stations are seen as an environmentally friendly (climate
neutral) form of production with considerable potential. Wien
Energie is tapping this potential through its cooperation with
the Austrian Forestry Commission and the combined operation
of the country‘s largest forest biomass power station.
HEAT PRODUCTION 2012*)
in percent
(energy segment incl. investments)
5.8% Biomass
14.3% Miscellaneous
17.8% Thermal waste
incineration
62.1% Cogeneration
*) Due to the change in the balance sheet date, the 2012 figures for the energy segment relate
to five quarters
Wien Energie Fernwärme, the district heating provider,
supplies around 330,000 households and more than 6,400 key
accounts with heating and hot water, and is therefore one of
the largest companies in this sector in Europe. The base load
requirements are sourced from the thermal waste incineration
plants at Spittelau, which is currently being modernised,
Flötzersteig, Simmeringer Haide and Pfaffenau. In total, these
four plants process around 900,000 tonnes of waste, special
waste and sewage sludge every year, producing almost
1,500,000 megawatt hours of heating. Medium-load requirements
are met by drawing on the cogeneration technology of
the Wien Energie power plants at Donaustadt, Simmering and
Leopoldau, as well as the forest biomass power plant at
Simmering and the OMV oil refinery in Schwechat.
highlights
Opening of the customer service centre at Spittelau
Besides the Wien Energie-Haus on Mariahilferstrasse, Wien
Energie also operates six customer service centres in Vienna.
The largest of these is the new customer service centre at
Spittelau, which opened in March 2012 after just under a year
of construction work. With 600 m 2 of floor space, this ultra-
modern centre offers energy advice on electricity, gas and
district heating. The building has been designed to be well lit
and very spacious, providing a total of 18 consultancy areas in
the form of isolated islands which guarantee the necessary
degree of discretion during customer consultations. Energy
efficiency was also given top priority during the construction of
the building. The photovoltaic plant installed on the roof
covers the building‘s electricity requirements, meaning annual
savings in terms of CO 2 of 7.8 tonnes. Exceptionally high levels
of energy efficiency have also been achieved in the areas of
heat and cold insulation as well as sound proofing and solar
protection. Thanks to these efforts, the customer service
centre at Spittelau also sets a shining example for energy
efficient construction in Vienna.
Innovative investment model: Citizen solar power plants
Wien Energie is setting store by renewable sources of energy
and offers citizen‘s the option of investing in power plants to
generate energy from renewable sources. In the course of the
first phase of the citizen solar power plant programme,
8,000 panels for four photovoltaic projects were offered for
sale in 2012. These panels were installed at suitable locations.
The first project involved an industrial area on the premises of
the Donaustadt power station. This went on-line in May 2012.
Further plants were then built at Leopoldau and Vienna
Central Cemetery. Each of these projects generates around
500 megawatt hours of electricity per year, equivalent to the
energy needs of 200 households in Vienna. This leads to CO 2
savings of 207 tonnes per year.
Wien Energie builds and operates these turn-key photovoltaic
plants, and therefore also bears the associated commercial
risks. Citizens can opt to buy whole or half panels. Wien
Energie leases the panels owned by the citizens for a fee
which is equivalent to a fixed annual return on investment of
3.1 percent. The owners can sell their panels back to Wien
Energie at any time at the full purchase price. The initial
investment is also repaid to investors at the end of the useful
life of the plant.
Geothermal project at Aspern / Essling:
Exploratory drilling without success
The idea behind this project dates back to the 1970s when, in
1974, OMV discovered geothermal water reservoirs while test
drilling for oil. These finds served as the basis for the geothermal
exploratory drilling. Wien Energie followed up on this in
2005 and continued the research into the geological and
hydrological systems at Aspern. The project was well prepared
over a period of several years and scientifically supported.
The exploratory drilling for geothermal energy at Aspern
extended to a depth of over 4,000 metres, but did not reveal
the layers of rock or the geothermal water reservoirs
anticipated.
Geologists have confirmed that the subsoil of the city and the
Vienna Basin need to be investigated further. A study programme
has now led to the decision for Wien Energie to conduct further
research into this issue. Geothermal energy is essentially regarded
as an interesting possibility for increasing the proportion of
renewable energy used in providing district heating.
Consolidated Management Report | Annual Report 2012
19