Energy in Europe: Ongoing liberalization
In Europe, all non-residential consumers of electricity and gas have been free to choose their supplier since 1 July 2004. Liberalization has important strategic implications for SUEZ, which is both a generator and supplier of electricity and a distributor of natural gas. In just a few years, the Group has developed a strategy allowing it to develop a unique offer combining electricity, natural gas and energy services to become the leading energy services provider and fifth largest electricity concern in Europe. It has designed a technical base around diversified, flexible and competitive means of production able to adapt to fluctuations in demand and the potential increase in fossil fuel prices, as well as meeting the requirements of the EU's energy policy: protection of the environment, securing of resources and economic competitiveness.
Today, the Group 's strategy is to increase the capacities installed outside of Belgium to build a generating capacity of 35 000 MW in Europe and to raise sales to qui soient de l'ordre de 200 TWh by 2009. In the gas sector, SUEZ objective is to reach 5% of the market share. To diversify its sources of supply, the Group intends to increase the capacity of the ‘Interconnector' linking England to the gas hub at Zeebrugge, of which it is the operator. This will allow import and export of gas from the UK. The Group is also closely monitoring developments in the regulatory context which, at the start of 2005, saw the beginning of CO 2 emissions trading in Europe, aiming to ensure an effectively competitive environment so that, in the long term, energy supply in Europe does not become dependent on the rest of the world.
