Government opens to double aid to big industry to reduce light

Big industry demands from the state increase in direct assistance to reduce the impact of the high electricity bill on its cost structure. And the Executive is willing to approve a significant upward revision to the amounts planned for this year to offset the costs companies incur in 2022.

Large industry benefits from a relief system each year to offset the costs of indirect CO2 emissions. The General Government Budget (PGE) for 2023 envisages an item of 244 million Euros for these aids, equal to the amount distributed in the previous year.

This Large Energy Consumption Companies Association (AEGE) He requests the Ministry of Industry to increase this amount. up to 400 to 500 million this year to offset the skyrocketing costs of emissions rights. (Around 80 euros per tonne CO2 last year, more than double what it was before the crisis).

“reasonable” request

The government is opening up to step up the game for easing big industry’s energy costs. Official sources from the Ministry of Industry, still led by Reyes Maroto, “The scales of 400 to 500 million euros cited by industry are really reasonable in terms of numbers, given the rise in the price of emissions rights.” He is waiting for his departure to become a socialist candidate for mayor of Madrid.

Almost every year, the Manager raises the originally planned budget item. This year’s correction will be much higher than in previous years. The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism acknowledges that the call for assistance will include the possibility of an increase in the budget, but requires availability of the budget.

However, a condition of electro-intensive employers – bringing together about thirty people – Industry giants such as ArcelorMittal, Acerinox, Sidenor, Ferroatlántica or Tubos Reunidos“Obviously, there are funds available,” says Pedro González, managing director of AEGE.

According to Community regulations, these compensations can cover up to 75% of the indirect costs for CO2 of electro-intensive companies, and a maximum of 25% of the revenue from each country’s emission rights auctions can be allocated to finance the programme. .

Government revenue from emission rights auctions exceeded 3,000 million last year, so the current allowable budget will be 750 million, much higher than the compensation AEGE has requested.

Help until 2030

The European Commission approved it last March support plan Spanish government For this entire decade, which envisages 2,900 million euros to offset some of the costs of indirect CO2 emissions. Major industry has been warning for months that the amount of the Spanish plan is clearly insufficient compared to reparations approved by Brussels for other member states, such as the German plan, which includes $27,500 million in aid to its own industry over ten years.

The Ministry of Industry confirms that it has prepared all the necessary documents to request a new, higher maximum aid ceiling from the European Commission, and that it better aligns with projections of how the market price of emissions rights will evolve in the coming years. year.

However, Maroto’s department does not disclose how much assistance it plans to offer Brussels to cover costs between 2022 and 2030.

AEGE considers that the current prices of emissions rights last year (around €90 per tonne) and the forecast that these will continue to rise in the coming years justify an upward revision of Spanish aid.

industry association, the maximum aid ceiling can now be around 6,000 million euros, however, it requires a system that allows periodic updating of the aid ceiling based on the future evolution of the price of emissions rights.