Green Transformation

We are shaping the future!
This is all about climate protection.

 

Climate protection, as an element of sustainable economic and social development, ensures a brighter future for everyone. The ability and capacity to establish green laboratories and effective solutions within one’s own business is a logical and appropriate way to address this significant issue. Thus, it is both anticipated and evident that the VNG Group is laying the groundwork for its carbon-free journey and its contribution to future sustainability through the green energy transition.​

VNG's commitment to a fundamental transformation towards a decarbonized and climate-neutral energy sector contributes, together with our customers, to achieving Europe's climate objectives. As an organization, we are facilitating the (green) transformation into new business sectors.

For us, one thing is certain: We are there for our customers and partners to accompany them on their way into the green future, especially with regard to the future-oriented areas of hydrogen and biomethane. Against this backdrop, VNG AG launched the Group-wide strategy process VNG 2030+ in 2017, which shows how we intend to actively shape the energy transition. Therefore a team of experts has been established within VNG Handel & Vertrieb GmbH, our parent company, that coordinates and moderates green projects and topics with a targeted approach.

Grüne Transformation GIF ENG final

'Green gases' roadmap

Beyond the VNG 2030+ strategy, we are following our roadmap for commitment to renewable and climate-neutral gases. Based on specific projects and research priorities, this paves the way for the green transformation at VNG in the coming years. Where there is natural gas still flowing today, renewable gases can provide the same services in the future. These include the CO2-neutral energy sources hydrogen and biomethane, which are in particular demand in emissions-intensive industry and in heavy goods transport.

These 'green gases' are not only a guarantee for security of energy supplies, they also have a high climate protection potential at the same time. However, while the majority of final energy consumption comes from fossil fuels, 'green gases' currently account for less than one per cent of total gas consumption. This ratio must be reversed within the next few years and decades in order to advance the long-term German and European climate protection targets. 

Hydrogen

Hydrogen has very good prerequisites to become the climate-neutral technology of the future in the energy market in the long term. There are various processes that can be used to produce hydrogen. Depending on the type of generation and production-related CO2-emissions, a distinction is made between green, blue, turquoise and grey hydrogen. Currently, the most cost-effective hydrogen production process is natural gas steam methane reforming (SMR), as the production for green hydrogen from renewable energies via water electrolysis is associated with very high costs.

The hydrogen colour spectrum

Green H2

Hydrogen produced by electrolysis processes using renewable electricity in a CO2-neutral way. Alternatively, green hydrogen can also be produced from climate-friendly biogas or biomethane, for example through steam reforming.

Blue H2

Hydrogen produced from natural gas by steam reforming. The resulting CO2 is stored in suitable geological structures by means of carbon capture and storage (CCS).

Turquoise H2

Hydrogen obtained by splitting methane (pyrolysis). During production, instead of CO2, the end product is solid carbon, which can be stored and used in various industries.

Grey H2

Hydrogen obtained from fossil energy sources, the production of which produces CO2-emissions. One common process is steam reforming from natural gas. 

Climate-friendly biomethane

Biogas is produced exclusively from residues and renewable raw materials and is already an important component of a reliable, sustainable energy supply. The biogas produced is upgraded to biomethane and fed into the existing natural gas network, thereby replacing natural gas as a fossil fuel. Biomethane has the same properties as natural gas and therefore serves as a climate-safe and sustainable alternative in cars and heavy goods transport, in electricity and heat production as well as in industrial and commercial enterprises.

Biogas plays an important role in a decarbonized energy world. Together with BALANCE Erneuerbare Energien GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of VNG AG, and bmp greengas GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of VNG Handel & Vertrieb GmbH, we are actively driving the development of our green gas business around the domestic energy source and thus accelerating our transformation path towards green gases.

"Only by working together we will be successful in the long term, because the path to a green future is a joint task. If this succeeds, we will all benefit. Through our numerous projects, our goal is to find innovative and sustainable solutions to drive the transformation to a decarbonised society."

Alexander Lück, Managing Director VNG Energie Czech

VNG's role on the way to a green future


We want to actively shape the green transformation and accompany you as your strategic partner into the green future. To pave the way towards a decarbonised, climate-neutral energy industry, it is important for us as an organisation both to push ahead with the advancement of our established business areas relating to gas and to drive forward the transformation to new business segments. The implementation of the decarbonisation strategy brings with it a host of new projects, issues and challenges and requires cross-departmental thinking and proactive action to achieve our common goals. This lays the foundation for our future sustainable growth and for a climate-neutral future.

More information about the green gas projects of VNG Handel & Vertrieb GmbH can be found on the website.
 

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Further information on the green transformation can be found on the website of our parent company, VNG Handel & Vertrieb.

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