SECURING COMPETITIVE ENERGY FOR INDUSTRY

IFIEC Europe represents the interests of industrial energy users in Europe for whom energy and climate policies are significant components of production costs and a key factor of competitiveness in their activities in both Europe and throughout the world.

 

Recent News

On November 28, 2024, the annual IFIEC Europe Energy Forum will take place in Brussels. The theme of the event is: “Securing competitive, low-carbon energy for industry: short and long-term perspectives”.

In view of the current challenges in energy supply and the ambitious climate targets, high-caliber speakers from industry and politics will discuss solutions to ensure the competitiveness of European industry.  Take the opportunity to exchange ideas with leading experts and decision-makers from all over Europe. Let's find sustainable and viable solutions together!

Useful exchanges with ENTSO-E and ENTSOG

During the last IFIEC’s GA of December 2023, our experts had the opportunity to discuss informally the grid infrastructure challenges faced by energy-intensive industries in Europe with 2 important guest speakers: Sonya Twohig, secretary General of ENTSO-E (electricity) and Piotr Kuz, Director General of ENTSOG (gas). 

The discussion covered several issues such as grid reliability and stability, grid capacity and congestion, but also integration of renewables, energy storage, smart grid technologies as well as interconnection and cross-border cooperation, investment and funding …

This was a rich discussion that will be pursued in the near future. Addressing these grid infrastructure challenges requires, indeed, collaboration between all actors : energy providers, regulators, policymakers and, obviously, industrial stakeholders to create a resilient and adaptive energy grid that meets the evolving needs of energy-intensive industries in Europe.

High energy prices: IFIEC welcomes the EC toolbox, but more is needed…

Brussels, 14 October 2021 – IFIEC Europe shares the Commission’s analysis in its toolbox for action and support against rising energy prices in Europe.  But more is needed: the EU and Member States must provide a coordinated response to mitigate the impact of skyrocketing natural gas and electricity prices, and to create a favourable investment climate both for new industrial activities and the electrification process crucial to European climate policy and the circular economy.

IFIEC Europe calls upon European authorities to take all possible measures to restore competitiveness of energy prices in Europe, including:

  • close monitoring of electricity and gas markets functioning
  • fighting speculation in the ETS and releasing additional allowances into the ETS auctions
  • adequately mitigating the direct and indirect impact of high CO2 prices
  • eliminating barriers for building new power production and ensuring access to competitive climate-neutral electricity
  • stimulating market access for demand side flexibility and storage to the system
  • allowing national governments to temporarily or permanently reduce or cap taxes and surcharges on electricity and natural gas for industrial users

Peter Claes, President IFIEC Europe, 14 October 2021
Contact: febeliec(at)febeliec.be, +32 496 59 36 20

High local energy prices jeopardise European industry recovery

European industry expresses its growing concerns about the current extremely high energy prices in Europe. These jeopardize industrial recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic and undermine the investment climate both for new industrial activities and the electrification process crucial to European climate policy and the circular economy.

IFIEC Europe calls upon European authorities to take all possible measures to restore competitiveness of energy prices in Europe, and to mitigate their impact on European industry. This could include:

  • close monitoring of electricity and gas markets for “outages” this winter;
  • fighting speculation in the ETS market; 
  • releasing allowances into the ETS auctions; 
  • adequately mitigating the impact of high CO2 prices to avoid carbon leakage.

Additionally, national governments should reduce or cap taxes and surcharges on electricity and natural gas for industrial consumers in order to restore competitiveness and to retain jobs. 

Info: Peter Claes, President IFIEC Europefebeliec​[at]​febeliec.be, +32 496 59 36 20.

IFIEC EUROPE SUPPORTS EUROPEAN AMBITION TO BECOME A CLIMATE NEUTRAL SOCIETY - UNDERLINES IMPORTANCE OF COMPETITIVE INDUSTRY

IFIEC Europe supports the EU Commission’s ambition of the European Green Deal. European manufacturing industry faces major challenges and will play a pivotal role in the transition towards a carbon neutral society. The development of innovative sustainable technologies and products within the industrial sector will be crucial.

To make #Fitfor55 a framework for thriving competitive European manufacturing industry, it needs a resilient energy and industry policy with a coherent and robust regulatory framework that ensures:

  1. Access to affordable carbon neutral energy
  2. Financial support to breakthrough or immature technologies and protection against unilateral carbon costs
  3. Efficient energy and emissions markets with investments in new infrastructure facilitating system flexibility

IFIEC Europe will thoroughly analyse the Commission’s package proposals and communicate further on specific issues.

Peter Claes, President of IFIEC Europe, 14 July 2021
Contact: 
febeliec​[at]​febeliec.be, +32 496 59 36 20

STATEMENT ON EU COMMISSION PROPOSAL TO RAISE CLIMATE AMBITION

"IFIEC Europe welcomes clarity on the Commission's 2030 climate ambition and on the proposed carbon target. 

European industries are reducing their emissions and want to go further, but they cannot thrive if climate policies leave them at a competitive disadvantage internationally. 

We therefore look to the Commission to ensure that a truly level playing field for carbon is delivered, enabling industries to make the investments that will be necessary to meet the EU's climate ambitions."

Steinar Solheim, President, IFIEC Europe - 18 September 2020

Coherent EU industry and energy policy will ensure a carbon neutral future

A paradigm shift requiring a new balance between energy supply and demand

Following the Paris Agreement, the European Union set ambitious goals for a carbon neutral energy supply. The European industry faces major challenges to reduce its emissions related to energy consumption and feedstock usage and will play a pivotal role in the transition towards a carbon neutral society. The development of innovative sustainable technologies and products within the industrial sector will be crucial.

EU Industry needs a resilient energy and industry policy with a consistent and robust regulatory framework. IFIEC Europe proposes six key recommendations for policy changes and further study

Recent Event News

We encourage you to join our senior management at an important strategic partner summit taking place in Paris, 5-7 November 2019, called the European Annual Gas Conference. Around 250 leading energy executives will be present and it takes place at the wonderful art deco hotel, ‘Le Grand Intercontinental’.

This long-established summit is highly-regarded and now stands uniquely as a consumer and policy-focused summit that is dedicated to debating and forging new pathways for gas in a decarbonising energy landscape. It uniquely brings together groups from outside the gas industry – especially industrial energy consumers, financial and energy investment leaders, policy makers and influencers representing civil society.

IFIEC members receive an exclusive rate to attend so please do get in touch at info​[at]​theeagc.com to register to attend at the special rate. We hope to welcome our members to Paris next week – see you there!

 

 

 

EU Industry Days Workshop on Energy Intensive Industries

The IFIEC Europe application for an own stakeholder workshop at EU Industry Days 2019 (5-6 Feb. 2019) has been approved by the European Commission! The workshop titled “Energy Intensive Industries – Innovating for a sustainable future” takes place on 5 February and will focus on energy intensive industries and their efforts in decarbonising in the context of the latest EU climate policy developments. EU Industry days is a yearly two day conference sponsored by the EU Commission and attended by over 2000 stakeholders, including speakers such as Commission President Jean Claude Juncker and European Parliament President Antonio Tajani. The full programme can be found here

 

 

New Annual Report 2018 published

The new IFIEC Europe 2018 Annual Report is available in print and digital format. The digital version will be uploaded onto the website during the first week of February 2019. Thank you to PageInextremis for the great job done! 

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IFIEC Europe´s Energy Forum 2018

The IFIEC Energy Forum on 15-16 May 2018 brought together the Energy intensive industries community and was joined by EU Commission Vice President Jyrki Katainen, Member of the European Parliament Julie Girling, Bulgarian Council Presidency Minister for Energy Zhecho Stankov, EPC Chief Economist Fabian Zuleeg, DG ENERGY's Florian Ermacora, DG CLIMA's Damien Meadows and many others. Thank you to everyone for their contributions and  for making it a special event!