Europe pushes to boost industrial competitiveness and decarbonization

Eurelectric, along with CEFIC (European chemicals) and European Aluminium, have outlined six key measures for improving Europe’s industrial competitiveness and advancing its decarbonization efforts. 

The measures were discussed during the Antwerp Dialogues, a forum gathering industry representatives, power sector stakeholders, NGOs, unions, and think tanks.

The Antwerp Declaration calls for urgent actions to reduce energy prices, eliminate barriers to infrastructure development, and secure strong public funding. Currently, electricity retail prices for the industrial sector in the EU are two to three times higher than in the US and China, creating significant challenges for European businesses. The EU’s Clean Industrial Deal is expected to focus on affordable energy prices as a crucial element.

The proposed actions include facilitating access to power purchase agreements (PPAs), increasing financing for low-carbon technologies, levelling electricity taxes, addressing infrastructure bottlenecks, and creating high-quality jobs.