Saxony's Economics Minister and steel industry demand reduced industrial electricity price

Saxony's Economics Minister Martin Dulig and representatives of the steel industry have called for a swift agreement on a reduced industrial electricity price. "Our energy-intensive industry, especially the steel industry, is facing enormous and in some cases existential challenges," said the SPD politician at the third Saxony Steel Summit on Monday. To this end, the German Steel Federation, companies such as Feralpi Stahl and BGH Edelstahlwerke Freital, IG Metall and Environment Minister Wolfram Günther (Greens) came together in Dresden. In a joint position paper, they called for the immediate introduction of a so-called bridge electricity price by the federal government in order to relieve the burden on electricity-intensive industry and maintain international competitiveness.

The position paper also states that the rapid and unbureaucratic expansion of renewable energies and the development of hydrogen networks are necessary for a transformation. Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) also wants a state-subsidized lower industrial electricity price to prevent companies from moving away. This has been criticized by the coalition partner FDP, among others.

Uwe Reinecke, Director of Feralpi Stahl in Riesa, referred to around 220 million euros in investments in climate-friendly technologies. "We want to produce green steel in Riesa - a city with a long steel history - in the future and secure industrial jobs." According to Reinecke, this would require unbureaucratic and pragmatic funding. The German Steel Federation warned that local electric steelworks are being left behind in international comparison. "The high electricity prices are hitting our electric steelworks with full force," said Managing Director Kerstin Maria Rippel.

Saxony looks back on a long tradition of mining and metallurgy. Its industrial landscape is still characterized by electric steelworks, forges and foundries. According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, metal production and processing is one of the three largest industrial sectors in the state, accounting for 13.8 percent of industrial turnover.