Chemical industry in Saxony is weakening - calls for a new start

The chemical industry in Saxony is currently operating well below its capacity. "In order to keep this important industry in Saxony, we urgently need internationally competitive energy prices as well as practical and unbureaucratic approval processes," said Saxony's Minister of Economic Affairs Dirk Panter (SPD) during a visit to Wacker Chemie AG in Nünchritz (Meißen district).

According to the Northeast Regional Association of the German Chemical Industry Association (VCI), plant capacity utilization in eastern Germany is currently only at 70 percent. A level that is no longer considered economically viable. The industry is facing massive competitive pressure due to high energy prices, increased administrative burdens and a weak economy.

Between innovation and crisis management

Panter met with representatives from companies and associations in Nünchritz to discuss the future of the industry and possible support. "At the same time, companies need to invest more in innovation, higher productivity and defossilization," Panter emphasized. The EU, federal government and the Free State of Bavaria must do all they can to support this challenging mix of tasks. "However, impetus for this must also come from the companies."

Wacker plant manager Jutta Matreux pointed out the central role of affordable energy for the site. "As one of the most energy-intensive companies in the district, we are dependent on a competitive and sustainable energy supply." The aim is to achieve climate-neutral production by 2045. The expansion of renewable energies is crucial for this - not only for self-supply, but for the entire industrial value creation in the region.

Call for a new start in energy policy

"What we need now are immediate measures to reduce energy costs, such as the abolition of the gas storage levy," explained VCI Managing Director Nora Schmidt-Kesseler. What is needed is a "new start in energy policy" that reconciles competitive prices, security of supply and the restructuring of the energy system.

According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the chemical industry in Saxony has around 65 companies with around 8,000 employees. In addition to the large sites in Nünchritz and Böhlen, the industry is mainly characterized by medium-sized companies.