Castellón’s ceramics industry, One of the economic engines of the Valencian Communitycontinues its struggle with high energy prices that reduce its competitiveness. The crisis resulted in 77 ERTE and 5 ERE, affecting 9,000 and 500 workers, respectively. what do you mean 2.7% contribution to Spanish industrial GDP and its direct impact on the Castellón economy prompted the Government to activate last Tuesday 450m euros in direct aid and another 500 credits for a dying sector. The help that employer Ascer has already put forward insufficient.
Fernando Roig, president of Pamesa Group, fourth world ceramic wall and floor tile manufacturerkeep asking for more draft measurements which ensures that the Spanish tile industry remains competitive in the international market.
On the side, looking for the group alternative solutions to fossil fuel energy. The agreement signed with eCombustible Energy LLC for the research of modular hydrogen production, popularly known as green hydrogen, seems to shed light on the subject. solution to serious tiling problem. Fernando Roig announced that in 2023 his factories will already use modular hydrogen.
“We invest in energy research. hydrogen pilot project and this 2023 will be running now. we are on the way to our destination replace gas with hydrogen. My idea is to shorten these deadlines and do so already during this exercise. I hope it snows. If so, it will change the world. Everything is very advanced. A 10-megawatt pilot plant is in the pipeline, which will be operational by the end of January,” the head of Grupo Pamesa told Mediterráneo.
The project thinks Each facility of the group produces its own energy with hydrogen It is produced by electrolysis of water based on electricity and photoelectric energy. “Everything that passes over the network is a electricity mix produced by solar, wind and hydrocarbons», says investor Roig more than 11 million Developing this energy with the American company eCombustible.
“We will produce hydrogen from water that consumes electricity, which will replace one hundred percent gas. Each factory will produce its own hydrogen“, To add.
Profitability and competitiveness
his struggle for profitability and competitiveness of the ceramics industry It works on two fronts: investigate and find solutions while alternatives to gas as energy come into play. Roig cites Italy, whose government launched a campaign, as an example. tax incentive policy to make your ceramic industry competitive. «The gas of the Italian industry is given a 40% priority by the government. They won’t help you, it’s just tax deductible.. They have been doing this for a long time, and with the arrival of the new manager, this rate has increased even more. I don’t know what to expect in Spain because when the industry dies and half of the companies shut down, there is no cure» discusses what would be a shock measure to alleviate the crisis caused by the increase in energy rates.
A “touched” sector
“We feel abandoned when ceramics makes up a large part of the state’s GDP. At 2022 prices, Castellon tile cannot compete», argues.
“The industry has been very impressed. If we compare it with countries with gas such as China, Algeria, India, or Italy, which has the advantage of 40% tax relief, Spanish ceramics will disappear from the marketbecause we have raised prices and if we continue like this we cannot compete,” says Fernando Roig. “Then we will either stop the furnaces and switch to ERTE, or we will produce less and that is where we die. We have good raw materials, good products and quality, but we don’t have good energy.. Now, as long as rates remain this high, the industry should be helped,” he claims. And he reiterates that the Government has the power to give economic oxygen to the industry: tax credits: «We don’t want them to give us anything, we just want them to help us with taxes.. When the price of gasoline stops being so expensive, it returns to its former state. Easier than easy. It’s a decree that can be deducted from your company taxes depending on the price of the gas.
The Head of Government announced the measures he took last Tuesday. crisis relief package to assist the gas-intensive industry such as ceramics. “We don’t want subsidies. We are charged a little less than the amount of tax we would pay, and if prices return to normal, they will normalize”, repeats the head of Pamesa Cerámica Group companies have been hit by the energy crisis.
“Painful” closures
“With all my pain, we have taken measures to close companies that do not make a profit. We restructure the group and putting the people we left from one place to another. My goal is to protect the business and profitability of the company. We had a very good first six months in 2022, but the last three or four months have been very bad with losses. We sold more than 2021 last year but earned less even though we endured. In 2023, we will achieve two goals with many challenges: maintaining employment and profitability.” commitment to be competitive and trying to find solutions like hydrogen.
«Where the crisis is most evident is the product of least value.While pointing out that the first aid announced by the Head of Government last March was insufficient, » elaborates as follows: «Pamesa gave up the 400,000 Euros they gave us because they didn’t solve anything. We decided not to receive subsidies to contribute to the group and ».