German industry significantly reduces energy consumption
Energy is an expensive commodity. In the crisis year 2022, energy-intensive industries are cutting back production and reducing their consumption by 9.1%. The chemical industry once again has the highest demand.
German industry significantly reduced its energy consumption last year in the face of sharply rising prices. It fell by 9.1% compared to 2021 to 3,562 petajoules, according to the Federal Statistical Office. "The significant decline in energy consumption is mainly due to high energy prices," it explained. Energy-intensive industries in particular were hit hard by the sharp rise in prices in the wake of the Russian attack on Ukraine. "Production there was significantly reduced over the course of 2022", according to the statisticians - by 7.1%.
At 89%, most of the energy was used to generate electricity and heat. The remaining eleven per cent - mainly petroleum products and natural gas - was used as a raw material for the production of chemicals, fertilizers or plastics, for example. Despite a decline of 17.3%, natural gas remained the most widely used energy source in industry with a share of 28%. This was followed by electricity (21%), mineral oils and mineral oil products (18%) and coal (15%).
The chemical industry was once again the largest energy consumer among the sectors. It accounted for 28.2 percent of total consumption, followed by metal production and processing with 22.6 percent and coking plants and mineral oil processing with 10.0 percent. In the chemical industry, around a third of energy sources were used as a raw material for chemical products and therefore not for energy.
Reduced industrial electricity prices should provide relief
If the use of energy sources as a raw material for products is excluded and only the purely energetic use is considered, metal production and processing had the highest share at 25.0%. The chemical industry accounted for 20.9 percent and the coking plant and mineral oil processing sector for 10.1 percent.
After months of wrangling, the German government has agreed on a lower industrial electricity price. The price reduction is to apply for five years and will also benefit small and medium-sized enterprises. Next year alone, there will be relief of up to twelve billion euros. Among other things, the electricity tax is to be reduced to the European minimum level for industry.
The energy crisis led to a 9.1% decrease in energy consumption across the German industry in 2022, primarily due to high energy prices. This shift resulted in the industry using less energy, bringing their total consumption down to 3,562 petajoules. To mitigate the impacts of these high prices, the German government agreed on a reduction in industrial electricity prices, providing relief for small and medium-sized enterprises, and potentially reducing energy consumption further in these sectors. Efforts to improve energy efficiency within industries also play a crucial role in reducing energy consumption, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable energy industry.
Source: www.ntv.de
