VINCI and the energy transition

Copyright VINCI 2013

23 October 2013 - Sustainability

Numerous governments are engaging in the change of their energy system. Examples include the “transition énergétique” in France, Energiewende in Germany, Sostenibilidad Energetica in Spain and Climate Change Bill in the UK. Through its construction and energy business activities, VINCI is a major player in supporting these public policies in terms both of infrastructure and scientific advances.

Every year, the International Energy Agency (IEA) publishes its World Energy Outlook, which is used as a reference document by many. The energy and environmental challenges it underlines are:
· growth in demand for energy;
· dependence on non-renewable fossil fuels;
· climate change because two-thirds of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions come from the energy sector (production, transformation and use).

Through its construction and energy business activities, VINCI is a committed player in supporting the public policies implemented to address these three challenges. The Group also contributes to scientific advances by collaborating with all energy, municipal and infrastructure players in order to convert technical advances into operating practices.

In France, a case in point, VINCI Construction France is participating in the French government’s Institute for the Energy Transition, Efficacity.

On 17 October, the French government announced its support for Efficacity and research into the energy performance of the cities of tomorrow within the framework of the “Investissement d’avenir” (investing in the future) programme. Efficacity’s research efforts are focused on developing tools that will help to improve cities’ energy efficiency and carbon footprint at various urban levels (building, district, city).

For the first time in France, public and private partners are combining their research efforts to meet national and European commitments to achieve a 20% reduction in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions % by 2020 and to improve the energy efficiency of cities.

Included as part of the Grand Paris (Greater Paris) programme, the project’s challenge is to promote a French solution to construction and urban renewal works.

VINCI has already contributed to improving practises in this area through the Chair for the Eco-design of Buildings and Infrastructure, which was created five years ago in the form of a joint sponsorship with three ParisTech schools: MinesParisTech, Ecole des Ponts ParisTech and AgroParisTech. The Chair’s efforts have picked up the pace of scientific knowledge on buildings and infrastructure, and shared it with all urban players.

In France, VINCI is also participating in the sustainable city and urban eco-technology competitiveness cluster, Advancity.

Germany plans to close its nuclear power plants in 2022. Between now and 2020, 35% of the country’s domestic consumption is to come from renewable energy sources (solar, wind and biomass), increasing to 80% by 2050. VINCI Energies in Germany comprises 160 business units located throughout all the country’s regions. With the acquisition of GA Gruppe in 2012, VINCI Energies strengthened the Group’s presence in the energy infrastructure market. This enables VINCI to better support the increased share of renewable energy sources, in particular through the installation of infrastructure connecting the first North Sea wind farms to their initial transformers on terra firma, over distances of 60-70 km (the coastline being a protected area).

By meeting municipal players from all countries regularly, the Fabrique de la Cité, a VINCI-created think tank on the city of the future, is also contributing to knowledge about the role of tomorrow’s cities in the energy transition.