Our Mission

As an independent technical competence centre and network, we support our members in their operational business as well as in the implementation of innovations and strategic challenges. We are the voice of the operators, getting actively involved in the political and social debate on technical issues, using facts as our basis. Co-operation with all partners along the energy value chain, especially with manufacturers and service providers, is very important to us. We are also available to international stakeholders as the central point of contact for all technical issues relating to the operation of energy plants.

Our Goals

With our activities we aim to

strengthen and safeguard a high standard in operational and plant safety as well as health and safety at the workplace,
increase the environmental compatibility of assets and improve the emission balance,
ensure optimal availability and reliability of assets based on market requirements,
optimise the efficiency and operating costs of assets at any point of their lifetime,
implement innovations in energy technology into economic applications,
pave they way for a market-oriented expansion of renewable energies,
find solutions to secure the energy supply and the stability of the energy system.

Within the scope of our activities we

provide our members with an international network and a platform for the exchange and transfer of technical know-how,
offer our members access to qualified expert knowledge, e.g. through operational and availability data bases for benchmarks,
define best-in-class processes as well as technical and operational standards in close co-operation with all stakeholders, e.g. manufactures, service providers and authorities,
offer technical services from technical consulting to laboratory services for materials, water and oil,
identify, organise and coordinate joint Research and Development projects,
work closely together with other national and international industrial associations, scientific institutions and public institutions.

Our Values

We are committed to complying with international compliance rules.
We act on the basis of technical know-how.
We have a non-proprietary, international perspective.
We maintain our international network of experts.
We treat each other honestly and respectfully.
We communicate openly and transparently.

Our Role in the Future Energy System

A sustainable energy mix is essential for mastering the challenges of a environmentally friendly, secure and economically viable energy supply. Renewable energies will be key to achieving this. Especially the share of variable renewable energies, such as wind power and photovoltaic (PV), is rising steadily worldwide. To optimally integrate these renewables and thus enable successful transformation to a carbon-neutral energy supply system, a high degree of system flexibility is required. This flexibility is essentially guaranteed by four options: energy storage and sector coupling, power grids, demand-side management, and dispatchable generation – from thermal power plants, hydropower and nuclear energy. Digitalisation also ensures networking and interaction of the various – increasingly decentralised – system technologies.

The VGB is committed to a secure, economically viable and environmentally friendly energy supply. The focus of VGB is on dispatchable generation and on variable generation from renewable energies as well as on energy storage and sector coupling. In the future energy system, plant technology will become simpler in many areas, yet the overall system will become more complex. Therefore, activities related to system integration will play a greater role in the VGB portfolio. A balanced energy mix remains important on the way to a climate-friendly energy system – especially against the background that dispatchable generation is currently the most important flexibility option in the energy system.

Committee Structure - Brochure