Energy Business

EVN follows an integrated business model that covers the entire value chain in the energy business. These activities include energy generation, the operation of energy distribution networks and the delivery of energy to end customers. The company is active in the areas of electricity, natural gas and heat – with different focal points in the individual markets. EVN provides a full range of these services in Lower Austria, while business activities in Bulgaria and Macedonia involve the operation of electricity networks and electricity supplies to end customers. Heat is also sold to end customers in Bulgaria. EVN sells natural gas to end customers in Croatia, distributes energy through EnergieAllianz in Germany and also operates a coal-fired power plant there. In Albania, EVN plays an important role in the country’s energy supply through the operation of the Ashta hydropower plant.

Energy generation

EVN can rely on a balanced mix of energy generation capacity. In Austria, the company operates natural gas- and black coal-fired power plants as well as plants that use renewable sources (hydropower, windpower and solar energy) for energy generation. This combination of thermal generation plants and generation capacity from renewable sources is important to ensure reliable supplies for customers at all times. A key aspect in this regard is the ability to supplement the volatile generation from renewable energy sources with predictable feed-in volumes that are available on short-term from conventional facilities. This supply stability is ensured, above all, by the thermal power generation plants (the gas-fired power plants in Theiss and Korneuburg, the coal-fired power plants in Dürnrohr and Duisburg-Walsum) and hydropower from EVN’s five pump storage power plants. The energy generated by these plants is generally sold at market prices in Austria, while the prices in South Eastern Europe are regulated. Subsidised feed-in tariffs apply to the energy generated by windpower and photovoltaic plants in Austria for a period of 13 years in each case. In Bulgaria, EVN generates electricity in eight windpower plants and two photovoltaic plants. The windpower electricity is charged at subsidised feed-in tariffs for twelve years, and photovoltaic electricity can be fed into the network at subsidised tariffs for 20 years. In Macedonia, EVN generates electricity in eleven small hydropower plants which is sold at market prices.

• For details on the generation capacity from renewable energy see here.

• GRI indicator: Installed capacity (EU1)

Network operations

For the distribution of electricity and natural gas, EVN operates electricity networks in Lower Austria, Bulgaria and Macedonia and natural gas networks in Lower Austria and Croatia. The operation of these networks is based on a regulated business model under which the tariffs charged by the network operator for the distribution of electricity and natural gas are determined by the respective regulatory authority. The increased use of renewable energy sources, especially in windpower and photovoltaic plants, has created substantial challenges for the stability of networks due to the high volatility of the generated electricity volumes.

In addition to electricity and natural gas transmission, network operations also include cable TV, Internet and telecommunications services in Lower Austria and the neighbouring province of Burgenland.

• GRI indicator: Energy generation (EU2)

EVN heat generation by thermal
energy source

EVN electricity generation by thermal
energy source

EVN heat generation by renewable
energy source

EVN electricity generation by renewable
energy source

Energy supply

Electricity is sold to Austrian end customers in a market that was liberalised during 2001, while the natural gas market has been liberalised since 2002. The prices are determined by supply and demand. EVN’s energy offering is complemented by competitively priced heat from over 60 biomass plants, which makes the company Austria’s largest supplier of natural heat. In addition to a wide range of tariff models that are designed to meet the individual needs of customers, EVN offers a wide variety of energy services from a single hand. Due to its attractive service and support portfolio the EVN brand enjoys high positive recognition, above all in its home market of Lower Austria. This forms the basis for strong customer loyalty and makes EVN the market leader in Lower Austria. In South Eastern Europe, the energy markets are moving towards liberalisation. The market for industrial customers in Bulgaria and Macedonia has already been liberalised, whereas sales to household customers are still based on regulated prices. The tariffs in Bulgaria, where EVN also sells heat from its co-generation plant in Plovdiv to customers, are set by the regulatory authority.

EVN supplies roughly one million electricity, natural gas and heat customers in Lower Austria, approx. 1.7 million electricity and heat customers in Bulgaria and nearly 800,000 electricity customers in Macedonia. The natural gas supply business along the Dalmatian Coast in Croatia is currently under development, and the first customers have already been connected to the network.