"Infrastructure for a future worth living"

OGE publishes its Sustainability Report 2024

"By using sustainable processes within the OGE Group, we aim to live up to our responsibility of protecting our natural resources, our energy security, and the people who work for us. In doing so, we always keep sight of our goal: to ensure our day-to-day work makes a positive contribution to society." This is how OGE introduces its fourth sustainability report, which has just been published. 

Because it all comes down to people – the three cornerstones of our corporate strategy

OGE's aim is to meet the climate protection targets in a sustainable, secure and affordable way while ensuring a reliable energy supply for households and industry.  And the future of energy has already started: In October 2024, the Federal Network Agency approved the transmission system operators' application for the hydrogen core network. "By investing in the core network, OGE is facilitating the ramp-up and future use of hydrogen. In addition, we are proactively initiating key projects with existing and new shippers, connecting market participants and assuming a key role in crucial import corridors to Germany. Hydrogen is and will therefore become our second important business segment alongside natural gas. But we are not leaving our customers alone when it comes to CO₂ either and are working on to transport unavoidable CO₂ from production processes for storage or reuse as part of a circular economy. Our extensive and long-standing expertise in natural gas allows us to press ahead with CO₂ projects and partnerships as a pioneer and thus contribute to a climate-neutral economy," says CEO Dr Thomas Hüwener.

Sustainable construction of energy infrastructure

Not only ensuring security of supply, but also harmonising this with nature and the environment, remains a top priority at OGE which is also reflected in the current report. "This begins as early as the planning phase of the construction project. Whilst all applicable requirements and laws are of course taken into account, the route planning process also applies the “bundling principle”, whereby the line follows the route of existing infrastructure so as to take up as little extra space as possible," explains CTO Detlef Brüggemeyer. "Sustainable construction is about more than just consideration of ecological criteria. OGE takes a holistic approach here. If on completion of a construction project it seems to the animals, nature and people there that the diggers had never even arrived, then the project has been a success."

Strong through diversity  

OGE meets the challenges of the energy sector with a strong and diverse team, which also plays a prominent role in the new report. "Our internal expertise and decades of experience combined with the dedication of our employees have helped us become a successful and leading gas network operator. But the business is changing and we therefore need to be even more innovative. Together, we have developed new corporate values as part of a comprehensive strategy process, the aim being to strengthen the overall corporate culture as a shared foundation that everyone understands and that reaches all generations: We take responsibility. We are fresh thinkers. We grow beyond ourselves. And we promote diversity at OGE in order to continue to be successful," says CFO Nathalie Leroy. 

"With this sustainability report, we show which UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) we are prioritising and what steps we are taking to achieve them," explains Sustainability Manager Jennifer Buchkremer. "At Group level, we published the first report in accordance with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) this year, in which we disclosed the information required by law. In our Sustainability Report, however, we wanted to use various projects and specific examples to show how OGE is making an active contribution to a future worth living – economically, ecologically and socially."

The entire OGE Sustainability Report is available on the OGE website.

 
The Group Sustainability Report in accordance with the CSRD is part of the VGT Group’s Annual Report, which can be found on the website of Vier Gas Transport GmbH.