In the statement, it was noted that the decision is seen as an important step forward, but that the current regulation will not be effective in practice for the energy-intensive steel industry.
Wirtschaftsvereinigung Stahl CEO Kerstin Maria Rippel said that the approval represents significant progress in implementing the German industrial electricity price, but that in its current form it is still insufficient for energy-intensive sectors.
Rippel stated that in sectors with high electricity consumption such as steel, the planned regulation is rendered ineffective due to EU state aid rules. It was emphasized that the industrial electricity price can only be applied to a portion of total consumption and cannot be combined with CO₂-based electricity price compensation, which creates a major limitation.
The federation welcomed the planned amendments to state aid rules under the so-called “Temporary Iran Crisis Energy Framework” introduced by the European Commission and called on the German government to actively support this approach.
It was stated that the current energy price crisis once again highlights the need for long-term industrial policies that stabilize gas and electricity prices. In this context, it was noted that a reliable electricity price level of 50 euros per megawatt-hour, including all taxes, fees, and additional costs, should be targeted for industry.
The statement stressed that such a price level is critical for maintaining the international competitiveness of Germany’s energy-intensive steel sector and for sustaining the transition toward climate neutrality.
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