EPIF aims to abandon coal by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2040

13. 5. 2021

As a major energy player in Central Europe, EP Infrastructure, a.s. (“EPIF”) is conscious of its immense responsibility for the environmental aspects of its operations and intends to be at the forefront of the energy transition which is vital to mitigate the potential serious impacts of climate change. EPIF fully supports the main goal of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius and endorses recent increase in the 2030 emission reduction target set by the European Green Deal to 55% compared to 1990 levels. To reinforce our ongoing decarbonization efforts, we set a net-zero carbon target for 2040, going beyond the official 2050 EU carbon-neutrality objective. Our long-term goals are supported by a clear decarbonization roadmap, setting us on a path to reduce CO2 emissions from our existing heating plants by 60% already by 2030, when we expect coal to be fully replaced as a primary generation source by zero and low-emission alternatives such as biomass, natural gas, or municipal waste.

However, our plans go far beyond mere reduction of our existing CO2 emissions. We believe that one of the missing links to a successful energy transition are adequate capacities to store and transport the energy produced by intermittent renewable generation sources once these are deployed on a large scale. As an operator of critical gas infrastructure, we view our assets to be very well positioned for a potential transit, storage and distribution of hydrogen should this technology provide the missing link. Therefore, we have already commenced several projects along our asset base to assess its compatibility with hydrogen and other green gases. In the medium term, our infrastructure will continue to play a crucial role in supplying many parts of Europe with natural gas which we view as an important transitional fuel to reduce CO2 emissions, while ensuring power grid stability and security of supplies. The robustness and reliability of our infrastructure was once again proved in 2020 when we navigated through an unprecedented pandemic without any significant interruptions.

At the same time, we are publishing our 3rd sustainability report which provides further details on our ESG targets and presents an overview of the Group´s performance in 2020, emphasizing the environmental, social and governance aspects of our activities. After recognizing the need to formalize our already existing processes and implement them across the Group, we approved a set of ESG policies in March 2020. These were updated and complemented by additional policies in April 2021, covering our asset integrity management, cybersecurity, workforce diversity, whistleblowing, or biodiversity. Our continuous efforts to improve our ESG performance were reflected in the debut ESG rating from S&P Global Ratings Europe Limited in April 2020, where we scored 65 out of 100 points. We aim to further improve in the ESG area and team up with all stakeholders in a joint effort to create a thriving society.

EPIF 2020 Sustainability report is available here
EPIF ESG Policies are available here