Electricity transmission system operator Elia Group sees itself as a driver of success and an agent of change in the energy transition. However, in terms of in-house technology, the Belgian company's carbon emissions data was stored in spreadsheets and quality control was performed manually, limiting Elia Group's ability to calculate the upstream Scope 3 emissions from all its assets.
As the world moves in a greener direction but the current market lacks satisfactory software to meet their needs, Elia Group decided to build a proprietary platform to collect Scope 3 upstream emissions data directly from their suppliers. This forward-looking platform aims to obtain more accurate figures on carbon footprints for reporting and identify optimal measures.
Digitalized Environment
One of the objectives of developing our own software was to set up Elia Group's own GHG collection template and LCA. The goal of the platform was to enable users to integrate CO2-related data into their daily business practices. Suppliers log on to the platform via a secure connection and can easily exchange CO2-related data through the platform. The platform automatically aggregates the data and calculates Scope 3 upstream emissions. Furthermore, with legal requirements and auditability becoming increasingly strict in this field, Elia's tools allow us to manage all reported data.
But as Elia Group embarked on this initiative, it needed more knowledge to develop the software, so the organization turned to the expertise of Flexso, which has worked with enterprise resource planning (ERP) software vendor SAP for 20 years to implement solutions for human resources, finance, logistics and other business needs. To enable the development of the Scope 3 accounting platform, a new web application will be created using SAP's Business Technology Platform (BTP).
Better action based on data
Elia Group's 2023 non-financial report will be the first time figures have been captured using the company's software, with implementation continuing to phase in through to 2025. The new app therefore already provides a powerful Scope 3 reporting tool by leveraging the approximately 100,000 PO items received in real time.
Marco Nix, interim CFO at Elia Group, explains that the Scope 3 accounting platform will “provide greater transparency into carbon emissions and investment activities, and further improve Scope 3 data maturity (data quality management practices).” Buyers are also seeing the value of keeping digital supply chain records, as the platform includes information beyond Scope 3 emissions to reveal resource shortages, logistical bottlenecks, and the origins of materials.
In recognition of their work developing the platform, Elia Group was awarded the Transportation Titan Utilities category at the 2024 SAP Innovation Awards, an annual ceremony recognizing organizations that leverage SAP technology to improve both business and society. The full presentation deck detailing what they did to earn this prestigious award can be found here.
Going forward, the company plans to provide accurate carbon footprint assessments and bring new innovations to buyers and suppliers to further raise awareness and provide the best available data to drive meaningful behavior change.
