The Pedro Sánchez government announced this Thursday a cut in VAT for gas users, lowering the rate from 21% to 5%. The move could bring relief to heavy gas consumers, including Castellón’s ceramics sector, where annual costs shown a dramatic jump, rising from about 20 euros per megawatt hour to around 300 in little more than a year and a half.
In industry segments producing spray-dried clay for tile manufacturing, firms like Azuliber signaled this week that regulatory uncertainty around cogeneration plants remains a major hurdle. Since the gas price cap for electricity was approved, these plants have faced charges that were far below gas prices surpassing 300 euros, pushing some companies into losses. The consequences included shutdowns and temporary layoff measures affecting 117 workers.
For months, ceramic employers and local leaders in Castellón, together with Generalitat president Ximo Puig and Pamesa chairman Fernando Roig, have been pressing the Ministry of Ecological Transformation for a prompt, effective fix. Yet responses have been scarce.
The government’s position, articulated to industry representatives, is that the VAT adjustment acts as a compensating tax mechanism and will have only a minimal impact on company earnings. A general secretary of the ceramic employers’ association explained that manufacturers must shoulder rising gas costs, but the eventual VAT rebate seeks to offset these expenses because the final products’ price covers the tax once the goods reach consumers. Some firms still rely on temporary layoffs to weather energy-cost losses while awaiting a durable resolution to the sector’s challenges.
Ascer notes that cutting VAT on natural gas is a component of a broader agenda and points to a framework already used in the electricity sector, though it does not constitute the core demand. The association emphasizes that the primary requests include eliminating hydrocarbons taxes, reducing gas tolls, and stabilizing temporary energy prices. Gasoline-like discounts have persisted for months, yet analogous measures for gas remain limited.
The mayor of Castellón, Amparo Marco, spoke about ongoing concerns in Italy this Friday as well, signaling that the industry’s problems cross borders amid an energy crisis marked by spiraling gas and electricity costs. Castellón’s production footprint remains concentrated in the province, underscoring why regional leaders are eager to see synchronized action at the European level.
During the European Ceramic Route general assembly held in tandem with Italian tile employers group Confindustria Ceramina and the European Parliament Ceramics Forum, stakeholders from both Italy and Spain shared experiences of rising costs and the resulting pressures on competitiveness. The gathering highlighted the need to forge a united front in Brussels and to pursue practical measures that can help both economies maintain production and safeguard jobs. The Castellón mayor indicated that a follow-up meeting with industry representatives should occur soon to address the sector’s current crossroads.