FDP delegation led by Johannes Vogel visits Deutsche Edelstahlwerke to find out about the concerns of the steel industry

Siegen, 25.08.2023. The Deputy Federal Chairman of the FDP and First Parliamentary Secretary of the FDP parliamentary group Johannes Vogel, visited Deutsche Edelstahlwerke (DEW) in Siegen last week together with representatives of the local Liberals. The main topic was the burden placed on the electrical steel industry by high energy prices. 

Frank Koch made it clear that the entire energy-intensive industry urgently needed tangible relief, for example through a bridge electricity price. Koch said: "A bridge electricity price is not just a demand but a necessity. For us as an electric steel producer, electricity is a particularly important factor for our production, for its profitability and for our company's contribution to decarbonization. An electricity price of 4 to 6 cents per kilowatt hour can secure international competitiveness and keep us on track on our path to climate-neutral industry." A few days ago, a new pro-bridge electricity price alliance was formed by leading industry associations and trade unions. Johannes Vogel sees the need for action: "Energy-intensive industry and small and medium-sized enterprises are currently suffering from high energy prices and at the same time are facing major transformation tasks on the road to climate neutrality - we need sustainable solutions to provide overall relief. That's why I'm deliberately on the road a lot, especially in the current situation, to listen to SMEs and find out what's on their minds, including at Deutsche Edelstahlwerke in Siegen. In addition, superfluous bureaucracy must be eliminated, planning and approval procedures significantly accelerated, and we need tax relief for companies. We need to get these measures underway quickly."

In addition to Johannes Vogel, Peter Hanke, Chairman of the Siegen-Wittgenstein FDP district association, and Guido Müller, Chairman of the FDP parliamentary group in the Siegen-Wittgenstein district council, also took part in the visit. The FDP delegation was able to see for themselves on site the pioneering role played by electric steel production. Using recycled scrap and electricity - prospectively from 100 percent renewable energy sources - the carbon footprint of the steel produced by Deutsche Edelstahlwerke is already around 78 percent below the global average for steel producers. 

 

About Swiss Steel Group
The Swiss Steel Group today is one of the world’s leading providers of individual solutions in the special long steel products sector. The Group is one of the leading manufacturers of tool steel and non-corrosive long steel on the global market and one of the largest companies in Europe for alloyed and high-alloyed constructional steel. With close to 10,000 employees and in-house production and distribution companies in over 30 countries and on 5 continents, the company guarantees its customers a global supply and customer service, and offers them a complete production portfolio as well as sales and services around the world. 

 

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Anina Berger
Vice President Corporate Marketing and Communication

Steeltec AG  
c/o Swiss Steel Holding AG
Landenbergstrasse 11
CH-6005 Lucerne
Tel: +41 (0) 41 581 4121
communications(at)swisssteelgroup.com

 

Helmut Freiherr von Fircks
Communications

Steeltec AG
c/o Swiss Steel Holding AG 
Landenbergstrasse 11
CH 6005 Lucerne
M: +41 795484895
M: +49 172 296 2222
h.freiherrvonfircks(at)ext.swisssteelgroup.com

 

Photo credit: Swiss Steel Holding AG