Elia tracks Scope 3 emissions with SAP-based tool

Highlights

• Replaces Excel with a custom supplier portal linked to SAP
• Tracks Scope 3 emissions using primary data from suppliers
• Supports CSRD reporting and shapes real procurement decisions

Challenge

Elia manages the backbone of Belgium’s electricity system. With over 8,800 km of overhead lines and underground cables, the company keeps the supply and demand of electricity in balance around the clock.

While its operations generate few direct emissions (Scope 1), much of Elia’s climate impact lies in grid losses and upstream emissions (Scope 2 and 3). As Belgium’s grid decarbonizes, Scope 2 emissions are expected to decline. However, Scope 3 emissions—from the production and delivery of materials used in grid infrastructure—have increased significantly in recent years. Driven by infrastructure investments for the energy transition, they now represent the majority of Elia’s total emissions.

To track Scope 3 emissions, Elia started out with a standard spend-based approach. Procurement data was grouped into categories, each linked to an emission factor. This worked for basic reporting, but the data couldn’t show the real impact of a product or supplier, and it offered little ground for action.

Corporate sustainability reporting (CSRD) required Elia to disclose Scope 3 emissions using traceable data, so they asked suppliers for environmental figures based on primary data. But with no standard format, responses varied in terms of quality and structure.

It was clear that the existing setup wasn’t scalable. The process relied on Excel files and emails, with no structured workflow or validation. Elia needed a system that could go deeper, link directly to procurement, and grow with its reporting needs.

Solution

There was no ready-made solution that could handle Elia’s Scope 3 reporting needs. So, the company decided to build its own platform. From the outset in 2022, TheValueChain has supported Elia in building a scalable SAP-based system that connects purchasing data with supplier input.

The new supplier portal, developed on SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP), replaces manual data collection with structured online questionnaires. Each form connects to a specific purchase order in Elia’s S/4HANA system. From there, Elia can analyse emissions across assets, suppliers and time periods.

Templates are fine-tuned per product type, which allows Elia to request the exact data it requires, down to material composition and production method. A built-in Life Cycle Assessment component supports carbon footprint calculation based on supplier input, helping Elia collect structured, product-level data from the start.

Suppliers can enter their own data through a secure, structured portal. They use the same dashboard as Elia, making it easy to track submitted information and monitor performance over time.

TheValueChain helped Elia stay close to its SAP foundation. The setup combines SAP HANA Cloud for data, SAP Fiori for the interface, and links to procurement in S/4HANA. It also leaves room to expand the platform while ensuring the data can be reused for reporting, analysis, and supplier engagement.

Result

The new setup gives Elia a clear, scalable view of Scope 3 emissions—linked directly to its procurement data. What used to be a static report based on inconsistent data is now a live system that tracks emissions at the product level and connects back to supplier action.

The platform supports CSRD reporting with verifiable data and makes it easier to steer decisions. Buyers can compare materials, projects, and suppliers based on emissions and use these insights to shape tenders and set requirements. Suppliers have access to a clear dashboard where they can enter, monitor and track their own emission data.

Elia isn’t the only player facing Scope 3 challenges. As the platform evolves, the company is looking to share its learnings with peers in the energy infrastructure space and explore how the system might support broader alignment on data and reporting.