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Fortum Oyj

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FY2020 Annual Report · Fortum Oyj
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CEO’s Business Review 2020

Highlights 2020

Comparable operating profit 
EUR 

1,344 

million, +13%

Strategy updated
Carbon neutral by 

2050 

at the latest In line with  
the goals of the Paris Agreement

Fortum is the
third largest CO2-free  
power generator in Europe

Strengthening balance sheet: 
EUR 

1.2 billion total 

consideration from divestments 

649 MW

of solar and wind commissioned  
in 2020
Projects of 1,589 MW  
(including associates)

76.1% 

ownership in Uniper
Consolidated as a subsidiary

2

Fortum’s 2020 reporting entity

CEO’s Business Review

Financials

Governance

Remuneration

Sustainability 2020

Tax Footprint

Sustainability

Tax Footprint to be published in week 13
Sustainability to be published in week 17

CEO’s Business Review 2020Financials 2020Governance 2020Remuneration 2020Tax Footprint 20203

CEO’s Business Review 2020

Dear stakeholders,
The year 2020 will be remembered first and foremost for the Covid-19 
pandemic that shook the world and impacted the lives and livelihoods 
of people all around the globe. While the utilities sector, and Fortum 
more specifically, was also affected by the pandemic, we suffered 
clearly less than many other sectors and companies. Our focus through 
the challenging times was – and continues to be – on securing the well-
being of our employees and thereby ensuring uninterrupted supply of 
power and heat to our customers and the societies around us.

Over the course of the year, we stood up to the challenge very 

well and successfully operated our power plants, carried out the 
annual overhauls, and secured the construction and commissioning 
of new power plants without major disturbances. In the Nordics we 
commissioned both the 90-MW Kalax and 99-MW Sørfjord wind parks, 
and in Russia we brought a total of 550 MWs of wind capacity to the 
market. At the same time, our subsidiary Uniper’s construction projects 
at Irsching and Scholven in Germany and the modernisation of the 
Surgutskaya power plant in Russia are proceeding according to plan.

Updated strategy and determined strategy execution
We have also continued our strategy execution tenaciously. During 
the year, we increased our ownership in Uniper from 49.99% to 
approximately 76%, and consolidated Uniper as a subsidiary into our 
financials as a separate reporting segment. One of the key focus areas 
in 2020 was intensifying the cooperation between Fortum and Uniper. 
As a result, we presented an updated strategy covering the whole 
Fortum Group at the beginning of December. Building on our strong 
position in CO2-free power generation and gas as well as our expertise 
in sustainable industrial and infrastructure solutions, the strategy 
focuses on driving the clean energy transition.

Our updated strategy builds on four priorities: ‘Transform own 
operations to carbon neutral’, Strengthen and grow in CO2-free power 
generation’, ‘Leverage position in gas to enable the energy transition’, 

and ‘Partner with industrial and infrastructure customers’. It is a natural 
continuation of Fortum’s decades-long focus on decarbonisation 
and Uniper’s European coal-exit path set out in March 2020. We are 
continuing the transformation towards carbon neutrality and by the end 
of 2025, we are cutting our coal-based power generation capacity to 
less than half and targeting to build 1.5–2 GW of new wind and solar 
capacity.

With determined execution of our strategy, we intend to deliver 
sustainable financial performance and target a growing dividend over 
the years to come. Our strategy is aligned with the goals of the Paris 
Agreement, targeting carbon neutrality for the Group by 2050 and in 
our European generation already in 2035.

As part of our strategy execution in 2020, we continued to optimise 

our portfolio and decided to divest our district heating businesses in 
Joensuu and Järvenpää in Finland after a strategic review. The tax-
exempt sales gains recorded for these assets totalled EUR 722 million. 
Continuing our focus to strengthen the balance sheet, we divested 
assets for a total consideration of EUR 1.2 billion during 2020, and 
signed an agreement to divest our Baltic district heating businesses 
for an addition 0.8 billion in March 2021. The strategic reviews of 
our district heating assets in Poland, and Sweden as well as of our 
Consumer Solutions business are ongoing.

The operating environment
In 2020, Europe took determined strides on climate policy. The EU’s 
Green Deal package with a clear commitment to climate neutrality 
by 2050 and tighter emissions reduction targets for 2030 was 
a truly welcome development as it bundles up all EU policy areas 
and all sectors of society. Until now, the focus of decarbonisation 
has largely been on the power sector, but the Green Deal has 
a society-wide approach. The tighter targets will be translated into 
a substantially tighter EU emission trading system in the upcoming 
years and the expansion of it is also on the table. This is something 

4

gas business, the fourth-quarter 2020 results of the Uniper segment 
significantly contributed to Fortum’s comparable operating profit.
In line with our updated dividend policy – ‘to pay a stable, 
sustainable, and over time increasing dividend’ – and what we 
communicated in early December, the Board of Directors proposes to 
the 2021 Annual General Meeting a dividend of EUR 1.12 per share for 
the financial year 2020. This is an increase from the stable dividend we 
have been paying for several years.

Finally, I would like to thank all our employees for their dedication 

and hard work during the challenging times and for their flexibility 
and willingness to quickly adapt to the new ways of working brought 
on by the Covid-19 pandemic. For the year 2021, the focus will be on 
strategy execution, further deepening the cooperation with Uniper, and 
delivering on the collaboration benefits identified thus far with Uniper. 
At the same time, we will continue to target a strong financial position 
and maintaining our solid investment-grade rating.

Markus Rauramo
President and CEO

we for several years have been advocating for and we are very 
pleased with the development. This decision has also supported the 
price of CO2 emission allowances, which are trading around twice 
the price compared to a year ago. The hydrogen economy also took 
several steps forward, with the EU Commission and several member 
states presenting their hydrogen strategies. This is a very welcome 
development as the role of hydrogen made from CO2-free power will 
play a key role in decarbonising the European economy, including many 
sectors that are hard to decarbonise, such as heavy transport and some 
industrial processes. Fortum also supports the UN Global Compact 
and Caring for Climate initiatives, and is committed to the principles of 
these initiatives.

The market conditions in 2020 were characterised, not only by 
the pandemic and market volatility, but for us even more so by the 
wet hydrology in the Nordics that pushed power prices heavily down. 
Towards the end of the year, CO2 emission allowance and commodity 
prices started to recover, which was also reflected in increasing power 
prices. While 2020 was a rough year for many energy commodities, 
European gas and power demand suffered only mildly – both in the 
region of a 3–4% decrease year-on-year.

Solid financial performance in a volatile year
Despite the exceptional and challenging year, we managed well and 
recorded good results. The 2020 financial results for our Generation 
segment were burdened by the low power prices and low nuclear 
volumes especially in the fourth quarter. Our successful hedging 
significantly alleviated the effect of the low power prices. In the City 
Solutions segment, the result declined on warm weather and low power 
prices, while Consumer Solutions’ results continued to improve. Despite 
the impact of the pandemic in the first half of 2020 and the lower 
power margins, our Russia segment fared well operationally, and the 
result decline was to a large extent due to the change in the Russian 
rouble exchange rate. Uniper’s results generally follow a seasonal 
pattern with the first and fourth quarters being the strongest. As 
a result of the strong hedging and optimisation in the power and 

5

Three main drivers are shaping the future electricity 
markets
The world we live in is changing rapidly and staying competitive 
requires companies to be aware of the underlying drivers and to take an 
active role in driving the change for a better future.

Looking forward, Fortum is well positioned for the ongoing transition 

towards a decarbonised world, both in terms of asset base and 
performance. The main drivers influencing the ongoing energy sector 
transformation are regarded to be:

Climate and environment
Climate change and global warming is inevitably among the most 
pressing and profound challenges facing mankind. Limiting its impacts 
requires global efforts, yet the commitments made by nation states so 
far are insufficient to limit warming in line with the ambition of the Paris 
Agreement. While the Covid-19 pandemic shook the world in 2020, 
climate change continues to be on top of the agenda as many countries 
are linking support measures to climate friendly initiatives.

The need to limit the climate impact of operations affects all 

industries today. The energy sector has the responsibility to transition 
towards carbon-neutral energy production while ensuring that energy is 
available at all times at an affordable cost. The primary means to enable 
the transition within power generation include increasing the share of 
renewable and CO2-free technologies. As fossil fuels are still needed, 
fuel-switching to more environmentally benign fuels and improved fuel 
efficiency are means to reduce climate impacts. In 2020, the price of 
CO2 emission allowances dropped temporarily below 15 EUR/tCO2 
as the Covid-19 pandemic struck, but recovered during the year and 
even exceeded the 40 euro level in early 2021. A credible price for CO2 
emissions is a prerequisite for a successful decarbonisation.

Equally important, but less discussed areas requiring decarbonisation 

are heating and traffic. In both, clean electricity and over-time 
decarbonising gas can be part of the solution. Fortum has been a 
staunch advocate for establishing carbon pricing for all sectors as a 
basis for the decarbonisation of the European society.

6

In 2020, EU launched the Green Deal package with a clear 
commitment to climate neutrality by 2050 and tighter emissions 
reduction targets for 2030. Until now, the focus of decarbonisation has 
largely been on the power sector, but the Green Deal has a society-
wide approach. The tighter targets will be translated into a substantially 
tighter EU emission trading system in the upcoming years and the 
expansion of it is also on the table. This is something we for several 
years have been advocating for and we are very pleased with the 
development.

The hydrogen economy also took several steps forward, with the 
EU Commission and several member states presenting their hydrogen 
strategies. This is a very welcome development, as the role of hydrogen 
made from CO2-free power will play a key role in decarbonising 
the European economy, including many sectors that are hard to 
decarbonise, such as heavy transport and some industrial processes.

Politics and regulation
The increasing fragmentation in the international political scene 
increases the regulatory uncertainty. Companies have to be prepared 
for a possible future where national rather than international 
market-based mechanisms drive the development of our operating 
environment. The energy sector is heavily influenced by national and 
EU-level energy policies and regulations. Fortum’s strategy has been 
developed based on scenarios for the future development of the 
regulatory environment in both existing and potential new businesses 
and market areas. The overall complexity and possible regulatory 
changes in the various operating countries pose a risk if Fortum is not 
able to anticipate, identify, and manage those changes efficiently.

Fortum maintains an active dialogue with the bodies involved in the 

development of laws and regulations in order to manage these risks 
and proactively contribute to the development of the energy policy and 
regulatory framework.

Technology development
Technology development is an important driver for change. 

In the energy sector the cost of wind and solar power is decreasing. 

This development leads to an increasing share of intermittent power 
generation and fewer running hours for traditional baseload power. This 
challenges the way the energy system has been functioning, where 
generation has been able to adapt to the changing power demand of 
customers.

Another development area, with potential to revolutionise the 
energy industry is hydrogen. With the increase of intermittent power 
generation we will see more hours with very low or even negative 
prices. This cheap power can be used to produce synthetic hydrogen, 
which can be converted into ‘green gas’, that can use the same storage 
and transportation infrastructure as natural gas. The development 
of the hydrogen economy would enable to switch flexible gas-fired 
power generation from natural gas to cleaner hydrogen-based gases. 
Furthermore, the large scale production of hydrogen could be a source 
of much needed demand side flexibility.

Digitalisation opens up for new storage and demand response 
solutions, which will change the way the customer interacts with the 
market. There will be new ways to produce, market, sell, and deliver 
products and services offered by utilities, start-ups, and new market 
entrants. Through these services, customers can take an active 
part in balancing a future power system that is heavily dependent 
on intermittent power production. In addition to power generation 
and usage, the technology development is also rapid within the field 
of transportation. E-mobility is fast gaining ground for small scale 
transportation as a result of the development of battery technology and 
processing power, but for heavy transport hydrogen-based solutions 
might offer a better suited alternative.

Looking forward, Fortum is well positioned for the ongoing transition 

in the energy sector towards a decarbonised world.

Market Development
Measures taken to prevent the spread of Covid-19 impacted power 
demand in various European countries, especially during the second 
quarter of 2020. However, the European power demand recovered 
significantly in the third quarter and, according to preliminary statistics, 
during the fourth quarter, demand in central western Europe (Germany, 
France, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, and the Netherlands) was only 
1% below the 2019 level. As a whole, consumption in 2020 in central 
western Europe saw a 4% decline on year-on-year basis.

According to preliminary statistics, electricity consumption in the 
Nordic countries was 383 (394) TWh during 2020. The lower power 
demand in the Nordics was mainly related to mild weather during the 
first and fourth quarters. Also lower industrial demand in Finland and 
Sweden contributed to the decline in power demand, towards the end 
of the year.

The Nordic power prices declined heavily during 2020 on warm 
weather and the wet hydrology. Even though the Covid-19 pandemic 
had only a limited impact on the Nordic power demand, the spot price 
stayed on a significantly lower level than 2019 throughout the year. 
The decline was clearly less in Fortum’s generation areas in Finland and 
Sweden, especially during the second half of the year.

During 2020, the average system spot price in Nord Pool was 
EUR 10.9 (38.9) per MWh. The average area price in Finland was 
EUR 28.0 (44.0) per MWh, in the SE3-area in Sweden (Stockholm) 
EUR 21.2 (38.4) per MWh, and in the SE2-area in Sweden (Sundsvall) 
EUR 14.4 (37.9) per MWh. The very large hydrological surplus and the 
risk of spilling in many hydro reservoirs have been the main reasons for 
the low Nordic spot prices during 2020.

The price of CO2 emission allowances was volatile during 2020. 
In early March the price dropped as low as EUR 15 per tCO2, but 
recovered to around EUR 30 per tCO2 already in July. The gas price  
(TTF 2021 index) declined in early 2020 and stayed depressed until 
early November, only to recover and ending the year where it started, 
around EUR 17 per MWh.

Spot price development 2019 & 2020, EUR/MWh

System 2020
System 2019

Helsinki 2020
Helsinki 2019

Stockholm 2020
Stockholm 2019

Sundsvall 2020
Sundsvall 2019

Source: Nord Pool

Power and commodity prices 2020

EUR

n
a
J

b
e
F

h
c
r
a
M

l
i
r
p
A

y
a
M

e
n
u
J

Power, EUR/MWh (Nordic 2021 forward)

Emission allowance, EUR/tCO2 (EUA DEC 2020)

Gas, EUR/MWh (TTF 2021 index)

Source: Bloomberg

7

USD
80 

60 

40 

20 

0

c
e
D

g
u
A

t
p
e
S

t
c
O

v
o
N

Coal, USD/tonnes (Rotterdam 2021 index)

l

y
u
J

1

1

0102030405060JanFebMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugSeptOctNovDec1014182226303438428

Nordic water reservoirs, energy content, TWh

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

2000

2003

2019

2020

Average 2000–2018

Source: Nord Pool

The Nordic water reservoirs started the year at a slight deficit. The 
rainy and mild winter led to a rapid increase of the Nordic water 
reservoirs during the first quarter. Spring was fairly cold and the spring 
inflows were significantly delayed, but once melting started, the very 
large snow pack resulted in the spring inflows bringing water levels 
close to the historical maximum levels in most Nordic water reservoirs. 
At the beginning of 2020, the Nordic water reservoirs were at 79 
TWh, which is 5 TWh lower than the long-term average and 5 TWh 
higher than one year earlier. At the end of 2020, the reservoirs were at 
105 TWh, which is 21 TWh above the long-term average and 26 TWh 
higher than one year earlier.

1

0204060801001209

Strategy
Fortum has transformed itself, having invested about EUR 11 billion 
over the past six years to become Europe’s third largest CO2-free 
power generator and a large player in gas. As such, Fortum is now well 
positioned to capture opportunities resulting from the energy transition, 
aimed at curbing climate change. To be successful, the energy transition 
must balance sustainability, affordability, and security of supply. It 
requires not only renewables, but also increasingly clean gas, energy 
storage, and other flexible solutions to provide security of supply and to 
decarbonise also industry, transportation, heating, and cooling.

In December 2020, Fortum updated the strategy for the whole 

Fortum Group to drive the clean energy transition and deliver 
sustainable financial performance. Aligned with the goals of the Paris 
Agreement, Fortum targets carbon neutrality by 2050 with ambitious 
mid-term targets.

As part of the strategy update, Fortum’s purpose (replacing the 
previous vision and mission statements) has been defined as:
Our purpose is to drive the change for a cleaner world. We are securing 
a fast and reliable transition to a carbon-neutral economy by providing 
customers and societies with clean energy and sustainable solutions.

Fortum Strategy: Driving the clean energy transition and delivering sustainable financial performance

For a cleaner world

Transform own operations 
to carbon neutral
•  Phase out and exit coal
•  Transform gas-fired generation

towards clean gas 

Strengthen and grow in CO2-free
power generation
•  Supply significant flexible 

and reliable CO2-free 
power generation 

•  Grow sizeable portfolio

of renewables 

Leverage strong position in gas
to enable the energy transition
•  Provide security of supply and
flexibility in the power system

•  Secure supply of gas for 

heat, power, and industrial 
processes

Partner with industrial and
infrastructure customers
•  Provide decarbonisation and 

environmental solutions
•  Build on first-mover position

in hydrogen 

Carbon neutral as a Group latest by 2050,
in line with the Paris Agreement, and in 
our European generation latest by 2035

Sustainable financial performance through
attractive value from investments, portfolio
optimisation, and benchmark operations

Strong financial position and 
over time increasing dividend

Value creation targets

The ongoing transition towards CO2-free energy, driven by climate 

change concerns, politics and regulation, as well as technology 
development, brings significant opportunities for a company with 
competences in CO2-free power generation and clean gas. Fortum is 
well positioned for this transition while the future market environment 
is increasingly uncertain. As a response to this development, Fortum’s 
updated strategy is based on four strategic priorities:

Transform own operations to carbon neutral
Transforming our own operations to carbon neutrality is a long-standing 
priority for Fortum. To accelerate the development, we have committed 
to the following ambitious climate and environmental targets:
•  Carbon neutral, in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement, by 2050 

at the latest (Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions)

•  Carbon neutral in European generation by 2035 at the latest  

(Scope 1 and 2)

•  Reduction of CO2 emissions (Scope 1 and 2) in European generation 

by at least 50% by 2030 (compared to the base-year 2019)
•  Number of major voluntary measures enhancing biodiversity  

≥12 in 2021

During 2021, Fortum will develop a target for the reduction of Scope 
3 emissions addressing the indirect emissions from our fuel sales 
business (category 11).

Fortum’s coal-fired generation capacity will be reduced by more 
than 50% by the end of 2025, to approximately 5 GW. Measures for 
the reduction include coal-fired plant closures in Germany announced 
by Uniper in 2020: 0.9 GW at the end of 2020, 1.5 GW by end of 
2022, and a further 0.5 GW by the end of 2025. The reduction also 
includes the closure of Uniper’s 2 GW in the UK by the end of 2025 and 
Fortum’s previously announced commitment to discontinue the use of 
coal in Espoo by 2025.

10

Further to the above mentioned planned power plant closures, 
Uniper will close its 1 GW coal-fired plant in the Netherlands by the 
end of 2029. As defined in the German coal-exit law, Uniper’s 1.1 GW 
coal-fired power plant in Germany, Datteln 4, will be decommissioned 
by 2038.

In December 2020, Uniper announced the end of commercial 
operations at the 0.9-GW Heyden power plant already at the end of 
2020, 5 years earlier than previously announced. This is a significant 
step in the execution of Uniper’s ambitious coal-exit plans and it 
alone corresponds to a 8% reduction in the Fortum Group’s coal-fired 
capacity.

European generation CO2 net emissions

 2019
100%

2030
-50%

2035
Carbon neutral

Fortum is committed to  
carbon neutrality by 2050 at  
the latest, in line with the goals  
of the Paris agreement

 
 
 
 
 
11

Strengthen and grow in CO2-free power generation
Fortum’s investment in Uniper was a step-change, increasing the 
Group’s CO2-free power generation by 60% and making us the third 
largest CO2-free power generator in Europe. We continue to focus on 
optimising and maintaining our benchmark operations in hydro and 
nuclear.

We will also focus on growing a sizeable portfolio of onshore wind 

and solar based power generation primarily in Europe to make it a 
meaningful EBITDA contributor. The target is to build 1.5–2 GW of new 
capacity by 2025. This capacity will partly be built on our own balance 
sheet and partly using the ‘build-operate-transfer’ business model.
To ensure focused and effective implementation, we aim to have 

a one-team-approach for Fortum’s and Uniper’s Nordic hydro and 
physical trading optimisation as well as for solar and wind development 
in Europe.

In our Russian operations we will gradually transform our asset 
portfolio towards renewables, while over time reducing our fossil 
exposure.

Leverage strong position in gas to enable the energy 
transition
Through Uniper, Fortum is now also a major player in gas with its 
benchmark gas-fired power generation and gas midstream business, 
which provides gas for heating and various industrial needs. As Europe 
transitions away from coal, our gas assets provide much-needed 
flexibility to the power system, enabling fast growth in solar and wind 
power. Our aim is to decarbonise our gas-fired power generation 
through conversion to clean gases over time.

Gas plays a vital role in many areas outside the power market, 
and we will also continue to focus on the reliable supply of gas for 
heating and industrial processes. Our aim is to continue to optimise 
our gas supply and storage, and grow our share of contracted sales 
to wholesale and industrial customers. In the longer term, natural gas 
usage will transition towards clean hydrogen and synthetic gases. Our 
strong position in the gas value chain and CO2-free power generation 

Leverage target:
Financial net debt/
comparable  
EBITDA ratio

<2x

Return targets for new 
investments:
WACC+ hurdle rate: 
+100 bps for  
green investments 
+200 bps for  
other investments

Dividend policy:
“Fortum’s dividend 
policy is to pay a  
stable, sustainable, and 
over time increasing 
dividend.”

create good pre-requisites for us to succeed in providing clean 
hydrogen solutions in the future.

Partner with industrial and infrastructure customers
In line with its purpose, Fortum wants to engage with customers and 
societies to help decrease their environmental footprints. Accordingly, 
we aim to provide industrial and infrastructure customers with 
decarbonisation and environmental solutions, such as grid stability, 
waste-to-energy, and low-carbon industrial solutions.

The development of the hydrogen economy will play a key role 
in decarbonising Europe. The ambition levels of the EU and several 
member states are very high. Fortum aims to build on Uniper’s first-
mover position in hydrogen, the Group’s position as Europe’s third 
largest CO2-free power generator, our long-term customer relationships, 
as well as our strong expertise in engineering, trading, risk 
management, and gas storage to develop and capture the opportunities 
in hydrogen as they become commercially available. We aim to have 
one dedicated team in hydrogen.

Financial targets and dividend policy
In 2020, Fortum updated its financial targets and dividend policy. 
Fortum continues to be committed to maintaining a rating of at least 
BBB. The long-term financial targets are:
•  Financial net debt/comparable EBITDA below 2x
•  Hurdle rates for new investments of WACC

•  +100 bps for green investments
•  +200 bps for other investments

Fortum’s dividend policy has been revised and ‘is to pay a stable, 
sustainable, and over time increasing dividend’. In December 2020, 
Fortum’s Board of Directors communicated the aim to increase the 
dividend going forward, and in March 2021 the Board proposed a 
dividend of EUR 1.12 per share to be paid for the financial year 2020, 
an increase from the stable dividend Fortum has paid for several years.

Value-creating strategy

Input
Human and intellectual capital
•  Close to 20,000 energy sector professionals, focus on 

diversity

•  Certified environment, health and safety management
•  Corporate culture that encourages innovation and R&D; 

R&D expenses totalling EUR 56 million in 2020

•  Robust corporate governance and ethical 

business conduct
•  Brand and reputation
Sources of energy
•  Hydro, solar, wind
•  Natural gas, uranium, coal and lignite, biofuels, 

waste-derived fuels

Assets
•  Operations in more than 40 countries
•  ~50.3 GW power generation capacity
•  ~19.5 GW heat production capacity 
•  Hydropower plants, CHP, condensing and 

nuclear power plants; growing in solar and wind

•  Gas storages and pipelines
•  Several waste-to-energy plants
Financial
•  Financial net debt EUR 7,023 million
•  Total assets EUR 57,810 million

Fortum
Purpose Statement 
Our purpose is to drive the change for a cleaner world. 
We are securing a fast and reliable transition to 
a carbon-neutral economy by providing customers and 
societies with clean energy and sustainable solutions.
Strategy
•  Transform own operations to carbon neutral 
•  Strengthen and grow in CO2-free power generation
•  Leverage strong position in gas to enable the energy 

transition 

•  Partner with industrial and infrastructure customers

Output
Products
•  142 TWh power generation 
•  32 TWh heat sales
•  Gas sales
•  73% of electricity generation CO2-free in Europe, 

45% in all countries 

Services and solutions
•  Power and heat sales
•  Electricity and fuel trading services (e.g. gas)
•  Engineering services for customers
•  Nuclear expert services
•  District heating and cooling
•  Electricity retail sales
•  Environmental management and material efficiency 
services, incl. plastic recycling and refining, metals 
recycling, and ash treatment
•  E-mobility charging solutions 
Our carbon footprint
•  Share of coal-based power production of total 

power production, 9%

•  Share of coal-based revenue of total revenue, 1%
•  CO2-free power generation, 64 TWh
•  Specific CO2 emissions from total energy production, 

287 gCO2/kWh

•  CO2 emissions from total energy production, 48.7 Mt

12

Impact
Economic impact
•  Profitability
•  Increased shareholder value
•  Dividends to shareholders
•  Investments
•  Taxes to the public sector
•  Wages and benefits to employees
•  Payments to suppliers and partners
•  Interest to creditors
Social impact
•  Reliable supply of electricity, heat, and gas
•  Smart energy solutions for industrial and infrastructure 

customers

•  More active customer participation in energy system  
•  Partnership opportunities for cities, start-ups, and 

research institutions

•  Safe work environment and wellbeing for employees, 

contractors, and suppliers

•  Opportunities in career development for employees
Environmental impact
•  Contribution to climate change mitigation through 
transforming own operations to carbon neutral

•  Investments in renewable energy production and clean gas 

(e.g. hydrogen)

•  Flexible generation enabling increasing use of intermittent 

renewable energy sources

•  Improved resource efficiency, recycling and 
recovery through circular economy services

•  Removing hazardous waste from circulation, treatment 

and safe final disposal

•  Improving air quality, e.g., through advanced nitrogen 

oxide reduction solutions 

•  Energy-efficiency improvements in own operations
   and at customers' plants
•  Mitigation of environmental impacts in own operations 

 
13

Annual outage at Loviisa nuclear 
power plant successfully completed 
by nearly 1,500 workers from  
10 different countries and zero  
Covid-19 cases

Sustainability at Fortum
Year 2020 was a year of changes as Fortum started to consolidate 
Uniper as a subsidiary as of March 2020. This consolidation materially 
changed the extent of operations, sustainability impacts, and 
performance figures of Fortum. It also called for revised sustainability 
targets for the altered Group. As a result, in December 2020 Fortum 
updated its climate targets to align with the goals of the Paris 
Agreement and is committed to carbon neutrality by 2050 at the latest. 
The target covers direct CO2 emissions (Scope 1) and indirect CO2 
emissions (Scope 2 and 3). Fortum’s roadmap to reduce emissions in 
Europe has also been defined. Fortum is committed to reducing its CO2 
emissions (Scope 1 and 2) in its European generation by at least 50% 
by 2030 (compared to base-year 2019) and to be carbon neutral by 
2035 at the latest. 

The journey has just begun, but Fortum is well positioned to reach its 

climate targets – as 73% of Fortum’s power generation in Europe and 
45% globally was CO2-free in 2020. Fortum’s specific emissions of total 
energy production in Europe were 188 gCO2/kWh and 287 gCO2/kWh 
globally.

Only 9% of power generation was based on coal in 2020; Fortum will 

reduce its coal-fired power generation capacity by more than 50% by 
2025. This commitment is also a part of Fortum’s long-term incentive 
(LTI) programme. In the 2021–2023 LTI plan, the target is linked to the 
reduction of Fortum’s coal-fired power generation capacity in line with 
Fortum’s coal-exit path, with a minimum level requiring exceeding the 
communicated ambition level. 

In 2020, Fortum commissioned the 99-MW Sørfjord wind power 
farm in Norway and constructed the 90-MW Kalax wind power farm 
in Finland. In addition, Fortum has 116 MW of solar power under 
construction in Russia and 250 MW of solar power in India. Up to 70% 
of new growth investments in 2021–2025 are targeted at solar and 
wind power, as well as hydrogen. 

Indirect Scope 3 emissions play a significant role in Fortum’s total 

greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and in Fortum’s target to drive 
the decarbonisation of its customers and society at large. During 

2021, Fortum will develop a target for the reduction of Scope 3 GHG 
emissions, addressing the indirect emissions from fossil fuel sales, coal 
and gas, to end users. 

Combating climate change is one of the most effective ways to 
reduce the degradation of nature. Fortum is aware of its impact on 
nature, and, in conjunction of the new climate targets, has also set 
a target for biodiversity, addressing the year 2021. Fortum aims at 
conducting a minimum of 12 major voluntary measures that improve 
the living conditions of species and strengthen populations, covering all 
countries where Fortum has hydropower production. The projects focus 
on threatened species or habitats, in particular.

Year 2020 was challenging for Fortum and all of society, due to the 
outbreak of Covid-19 that quickly grew into a global pandemic. In the 
pandemic conditions, Fortum’s top priority was to maintain business 
continuity and to ensure the health and safety of its employees and 
contractors working for Fortum. This goal was well achieved. Fortum’s 
employee engagement increased, and the company’s personnel felt well 
informed and supported during the pandemic. The measures to keep 
people safe were implemented exceptionally well during the annual 
outage at Fortum’s Loviisa nuclear power plant, carried out by nearly 
1,500 workers from 10 different countries and zero Covid-19 cases. 
For Fortum, safety is the number one priority; its Lost Time Injury 
Frequency (LTIF) for own employees and contractors was 1.3 in 2020. 
Fortum wants to further excel in safety, and its new, ambitious safety 
target, measured as Total Recordable Injury Frequency (TRIF) for own 
personnel and contractors, is <1.0 by the end of 2025.

In 2020 Fortum, excluding Uniper, launched a new Corporate 

Social Responsibility (CSR) programme to steer its support to society 
and to cooperate with local communities. The programme’s focus 
areas, aligned with Fortum Group’s strategic targets, are Climate, 
People, and Material Revolution. During 2020, Fortum focused on 
supporting organisations that help local communities in our operating 
countries. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Fortum has supported 
local communities, e.g. by providing face masks to local communities, 
including health care workers in Russia, Poland, Latvia, and India.

14

India. The division also includes Fortum’s 50% holding in Stockholm 
Exergi, which is a joint venture and is accounted for using the equity 
method. The division does not include the operations of Fortum’s 
subsidiary Uniper.

Consumer Solutions
Consumer Solutions is responsible for the electricity and gas retail 
businesses in the Nordics, Poland, and Spain, including the customer 
service and invoicing businesses. Fortum is the largest electricity retail 
business in the Nordics, with approximately 2.4 million customers 
across different brands in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Poland, and Spain. 
The business provides electricity as well as related value-added and 
digital services.

Uniper
The Uniper segment comprises Fortum’s majority ownership in Uniper, a 
subsidiary of Fortum. Uniper is a leading international energy company 
with activities in more than 40 countries. Its business is the secure 
provision of energy and related services. Its main activities include 
power generation in Europe and Russia as well as global energy trading 
and optimisation, which Uniper reports in three businesses – European 
Generation, Global Commodities, and Russian Power Generation – in 
its financial statements. The segment includes Uniper’s proportionate 
share of OKG.

Business model
Fortum is a European energy company with activities in more than 
40 countries. We provide our customers with electricity, gas, heating 
and cooling as well as smart solutions to improve resource efficiency. 
Together with our subsidiary Uniper, we are the third largest producer 
of CO2-free electricity in Europe. Fortum is the largest electricity retailer 
in the Nordic countries and one of the leading heat producers globally.

Fortum’s organisation consists of four business divisions: Generation, 
Russia, City Solutions, and Consumer Solutions, and additionally Uniper 
as a segment. Fortum employs a diverse team of almost 20,000 energy-
sector professionals.

Generation
Generation is responsible for Nordic power generation. The division 
comprises nuclear, hydro, wind, and thermal power generation, as well 
as power portfolio optimisation, trading, industrial intelligence, and 
global nuclear services. The division does not include the Nordic hydro 
and nuclear power generation or the trading activities of Uniper. As of 
31 March 2020, the division includes Generation’s proportionate share 
of OKG.

Russia
The Russia division comprises power and heat generation and sales in 
Russia. The division also includes Fortum’s joint ventures for building 
and operating approximately 2 GW of renewable power generation and 
for power and heat sales, as well as Fortum’s more than 29% holding in 
TGC 1. These joint ventures and associated company are accounted for 
using the equity method. The division does not include Uniper’s Russian 
subsidiary Unipro.

City Solutions
City Solutions is responsible for sustainable solutions for urban areas. 
The division comprises heating, cooling, waste-to-energy, and other 
circular economy solutions, as well as solar power generation, services, 
and development of new biomass-based businesses. The business 
operations are located in the Nordics, the Baltic countries, Poland, and 

15

Research and development
Fortum’s goal is to be at the forefront of energy technology 
and application development. To accelerate innovation and the 
commercialisation of new offerings, Fortum is strengthening its 
in-house innovation and digitalisation efforts and building partnerships 
with leading global suppliers, promising technology and service 
companies, as well as research institutions. Fortum makes direct and 
indirect investments in start-ups that have promising new innovations 
focused on connectivity, have disruptive potential, and accelerate 
the transition towards a circular economy. Fortum also invests in 
technologies that support better utilisation of the current asset base 
and that can create new markets and products for Fortum, such as the 
hydrogen economy. The company is continuously looking for emerging 
clean energy solutions and for solutions that increase resource and 
system efficiency.

Future challenges and opportunities

Climate change
We believe that the growing awareness and concern about climate 
change will increase the demand for low-carbon and resource- and 
energy-efficient energy products and services. We are leveraging our 
know how in CO2-free hydro, nuclear, wind, and solar power by offering 
our customers low-carbon energy solutions. We also believe that the 
electrification of transportation, industry, and services will increase the 
consumption of low-carbon electricity in particular. The development of 
the hydrogen economy, and especially clean hydrogen produced with 
CO2-free power, will offer opportunities for Fortum, the third largest 
CO2-free power generator in Europe and a first-mover in hydrogen. 
We focus on growing a sizeable portfolio of onshore wind and solar 
based power generation primarily in Europe and the target is to build 
1.5–2 GW of new capacity by 2025.

Our circular economy services also respond to this demand 
by utilising waste stream materials as efficiently as possible and 
by reducing the formation of greenhouse gases generated from 
biodegradable waste at landfills. Additionally, the use of non-recyclable 
and non-recoverable waste in energy production replaces fossil fuel.

Our operations are exposed to the physical risks caused by climate 
change, including changes in weather patterns that could alter energy 
production volumes and energy demand. Fluctuating precipitation, 
flooding, and extreme temperatures may affect e.g. hydropower 
production, dam safety, availability of cooling water, and the price and 
availability of biofuels.

Hydrological conditions, precipitation, temperatures, and wind 
conditions also affect the short-term electricity price in the Nordic 
power market. In addition to climate change mitigation, we also aim to 
adapt our operations and we take climate change into consideration 
in, among other things, the assessment of growth projects and 
investments as well as in operation and maintenance planning.

Power price development
Fortum is exposed to power, emissions, and fuel price movements 
and volume changes mainly through its power and heat generation. 
The profitability of outright production assets, such as hydro, nuclear, 
and wind power generation, are primarily exposed to fluctuations in 
electricity prices and volumes, whereas the profitability of coal and gas 
fired generation assets depend on the spread between the electricity 
price and the emission and fuel prices.

In the Nordics and central European countries, power prices and, 
consequently, the amount of profitable production, exhibit significant 
variation on the back of several factors, for instance, but not limited 
to weather conditions, outage patterns in production and transmission 
lines, CO2 allowance prices, fuel prices, as well as the power demand.

Regulatory environment
The energy sector is heavily influenced by national and EU-level energy 
policies and regulations. Fortum’s strategy has been developed based 
on scenarios of the future development of the regulatory environment 
in both existing and potential new businesses and market areas. 
The overall complexity and possible regulatory changes in Fortum’s 
various operating countries pose risk and create opportunities for the 
energy, environmental management, and consumer businesses. Fortum 
analyses and assesses a number of future market and regulation 
scenarios, including the impact of these on different generation forms 
and technologies in the development of its strategy.

Changes in the regulatory and fiscal environment create risks 
and opportunities for the energy, environmental management, and 
consumer businesses. The main strategic risk is that the regulatory 
and market environment develops in a way that we have not been able 
to foresee and prepare for. In response to these uncertainties, Fortum 
analyses and assesses a number of future market and regulation 
scenarios, including the impact of these on different generation forms 
and technologies in the development of its strategy.

16

Fortum is the third largest 
CO2-free power generator in Europe

Market position
Fortum is the second largest power generator and the largest electricity 
retailer in the Nordic countries. Globally, we are one of the leading 
heat producers. Our investment in Uniper increased the CO2-free 
power generation by approximately 60%, making us the third largest 
CO2-free generator in Europe. The consolidation of Uniper increased 
Fortum’s power generation capacity by 36.2 GW and heat and steam 
production capacity by 4.9 GW. Uniper has power generation mainly in 
Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and the Netherlands, as 
well as heat and steam production mainly in Germany, the Netherlands, 
and Russia.

Nordic power generation, 394 TWh, over 350 companies

Vattenfall
Fortum+Uniper
Statkraft
Hafslund E-CO
PVO
Norsk Hydro
Agder Energi
Ørsted
Helen
BKK
Others

Source: Fortum, company information, 2019 figures pro forma

Nordic electricity retail, 16 million customers, ~350 companies

Fortum
Vattenfall
Andel
Fjordkraft
E.ON
Norlys
Helen
Oomi
Göteborg/Din El
Väre
Others

Source: Fortum, company information, 2019 figures pro forma

1

1

Fortum's power generation, TWh

CO₂-free

Gas

Coal

Other

Fortum actuals 1990–2020 excluding associated company Stockholm Exergi. Uniper consolidated into Fortum's volumes from 1 April 2020.

Specific CO2 emissions of major utilities in Europe, gCO2/kWh electricity, 2019

17

Long-term focus on CO2-free power generation
Sustainability and CO2-free power generation have been part of 
Fortum’s strategy for several decades. We believe that the energy 
system needs to transform to a system with substantially lower 
emissions, higher resource efficiency, and a higher share of power 
generation based on renewables. The transformation will not happen 
overnight and we must provide customers with a secure energy supply 
at a competitive price during the transition towards lower emissions.
Fortum strives to contribute to a more sustainable world. We have 
increased our annual CO2-free power generation from around 15 TWh 
in 1990, to 44 TWh in 2019, and to 64 TWh in 2020. In 2021, it is set 
to further increase somewhat as we are consolidating Uniper for the 
full calendar year (only the second to fourth quarters of 2020). The 
development has not always been linear, as it includes organic growth, 
investments, and divestments and variations in hydropower generation 
also impact the annual figures. With approximately 20% of Uniper’s 
power generation capacity being hydro and nuclear power, Fortum’s 
CO2-free power generation increased by approximately 60% through 
the Uniper investment.

287

188

1

* “Fortum total” and “Fortum Europe” include specific carbon dioxide emissions from power and heat production in 2020. The figures include Uniper from the second-quarter of 2020.  
All other figures, except “Fortum total” and “Fortum Europe”, include European power generation in 2019. For some companies the PwC figures might also include heat production. 
Source: PwC, December 2020, Climate change and Electricity, Fortum

Fortum’s investment in Uniper 
increased our CO2-free power 
generation by 60%

1

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18

Reducing emissions by phase-out and transformation
Fortum also has power generation based on fossil fuels, mainly gas, but 
also coal-fired power generation. In Europe, Fortum has a clear path 
to exit the use of coal in power generation and has committed to be 
carbon neutral in European generation by 2035 at the latest (Scope 1 
and 2 emissions). In 2020, Fortum also committed to carbon neutrality 
in all operations by 2050 at the latest (Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions), in 
line with the goals of the Paris agreement.

In January 2020, Uniper announced an ambitious phase-out plan 
for its German hard-coal-fired power generation. The phase-out was 
further tightened as the commercial operations at the 0.9-GW Heyden 
power plant ended at the end of 2020, five years earlier than previously 
announced. 

In total, Fortum’s coal-fired generation capacity will be reduced by 
more than 50% by the end of 2025, to approximately 5 GW. Measures 
for the reduction include coal-fired plant closures in Germany: 0.9 GW 
at the end of 2020, 1.5 GW by end of 2022, and a further 0.5 GW by 
the end of 2025. The reduction also includes the closure of Uniper’s 
2 GW in the UK by the end of 2025 and Fortum’s commitment to 
discontinue the use of coal in Espoo by 2025. Furthermore, Uniper will 
close its 1 GW coal-fired plant in the Netherlands by the end of 2029. 
As defined in the German coal-exit law, Uniper’s 1.1 GW coal-fired 
power plant in Germany, Datteln 4, will be decommissioned by 2038.

Around 50% of Uniper’s power generation capacity is gas-based, and 
will play an important role as a low-CO2 and flexible source of electricity 
during the ongoing energy transition. A central part of Fortum’s 
updated strategy is the focus on the hydrogen economy, which offers 
the potential to switch from fossil to cleaner gases over time.

Largest power generators in Europe and Russia, TWh

Source: Fortum, company information, 2019 figures pro forma, EPH incl. LEAG

Largest heat producers globally, TWh

Source: Fortum, company information, 2019 figures pro forma. EPH incl. LEAG. No data from China.

1

1

0100200300400500600EDFRosenergoatomFortum+UniperRWEGazpromEnelRusHydroInter RAO UESVattenfallENGIEEPHNNEGC EnergoatomEn+IberdrolaCEZPGEStatkraftT PlusEnBWSibgencoEDPEPSVerbundDTEKSSEAxpoE.ONNaturgyDEI020406080100120140160GazpromT PlusSibgencoInter RAO UESVeoliaRusHydroEn+EDFFortum+UniperQuadraKDHCTGC-2VattenfallMinskenergoPGELukoilTatenegroPGNiGE.ONKyivteploenergoØrstedStockholm ExergiEPHTGC-14HelenCEZ19

Grow in solar and wind 
In addition to CO2-free hydro and nuclear power generation, solar and 
wind power play an essential role in the energy transition and Fortum’s 
updated strategy. Fortum focuses on growing a sizeable portfolio of 
onshore wind and solar based power generation primarily in Europe 
to make it a meaningful EBITDA contributor. The target is to build 
1.5–2 GW of new capacity by 2025. During 2020, we commissioned the 
99-MW Sørfjord wind farm in Norway as well as the 350-MW Rostov 
and 200-MW Kalmykia wind farms in Russia.

Although our solar and wind capacity still is small compared to 
Fortum’s total power generation capacity, our total wind and solar 
portfolio has grown substantially during recent years. Together with 
our associated companies, we have a 3-GW portfolio (Fortum’s share 
2-GW) of solar and wind farms and development projects in the 
Nordics, Russia, and India. Out of the total 3-GW portfolio of wind and 
solar power generation capacity 1,452 MW is operational, 861 MW 
under construction, and 728 MW under development.

The market conditions in the Nord Pool area and in Russia are more 
suitable for wind power, and Fortum is continuously investing in these 
areas. In Russia, Fortum is the largest player in wind and solar power 
with a portfolio of around 2 GW, together its joint ventures for wind and 
solar power.

Wind and solar capacity

Operational
Under construction
Under development
Total

Capacity (including 
associates), MW
1,452
861
728
3,041

Fortum share, MW

770
556
364
1,690