Developing the sustainable energy sources of the future
The combustion of fossil fuels that provide 83.5% of the energy consumed in the world is largely responsible for atmospheric pollution and climate change. Another major concern at the start of the 21st century is depletion of fossil fuel resources, of which the first consequence will be a risk for security of supply and rising energy prices. Concerned to reduce their energy dependence as well as greenhouse gas emissions, private and public players are promoting sustainable management of energy resources and are increasingly diversifying the sources of their energy. To meet the considerable rise in energy needs expected in the coming decades, diversification and development of new means of production have become crucial.
As one of the world's ten largest energy producers, SUEZ has made a priority of promotion of energy sources that are sustainable and environmentally benign, and of resource conservation. The « energy mix » is based to a large extent on natural gas, which offers three important advantages : there are still very large reservces, gas-fired power plats are very flexible, and their CO2 emissions are low.
SUEZ also makes use of nuclear production facilities, a technology with two advantages of its own : it generalted no greenhouse gases at all, and its supplies low cost electricity.
Between now and 2015, the Group intends to acquire a third generation EPR (European Pressurized Reactor).
SUEZ also uses coal, which is abundant and relatively economic.
Here, the Group innovates with the use of power plants that simultaneously use coal and biomass. With Electrabel, the Group has established a program to measure the advantages of capturing, storing and transporting CO2 with a view to the development of new generation coal-fired power plants.
Finally, SUEZ is investing more and more in hydroelectric plants, biomass and wind-generated electricity. In 2009, renewable energies will account for 18% of the production capacity of it subsidiary Electrabel, as against 15% today.
SUEZ intends to maintain this "energy mix", which will assure it of the flexibility necessary in the face of European challenges.
Gérard Mestrallet
