Energy prices: Member of the German Bundestag Dr. Carsten Linnemann visits Thöne Metallwaren
The topic of energy prices was high on the agenda during the visit of Member of the German Parliament Dr. Carsten Linnemann to Thöne Metallwaren GmbH & Co. KG, a company of the Seppeler Group. The program also included a tour of the company's hot-dip galvanizing plant.
Dr. Carsten Linnemann, member of the German Bundestag and deputy federal chairman of the CDU, was given an insight into the fields of application in which hot-dip galvanized steel is used and why it is a sustainable material. Kai Seppeler, shareholder and chairman of the supervisory board at Seppeler Holding und Verwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, pointed out that his company fully supports the sanctions against Russia and the primacy of politics. However, he said, policymakers must do everything possible to ensure that natural gas or alternatives continue to be available at competitive prices. "We stand by the sanctions and the policy decisions imposed in the wake of Russia's war of aggression. But at the same time, we depend on a secure supply of natural gas. We cannot simply switch. If there is a supply bottleneck, it is not just our boilers that come to a standstill, but many supply chains. Products that are needed, for example, by the THW, disaster control or the fire department would no longer be available. In addition, politicians must finally get a grip on prices and intervene," says Seppeler.
Thomas Weise, Managing Director of Seppeler Holding und Verwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG and Thöne Metallwaren GmbH & Co.KG, made it clear that the company could also switch to alternatives. However, this undertaking would require that sufficient quantities of these alternatives are available and affordable. Moreover, he pointed out that the Seppeler Group already relies on renewable energy sources. "Of course, we can also switch to an alternative to natural gas in the medium term. But in doing so, we need planning security in terms of availability and price. An industrial electricity price that guarantees competitive energy prices would be an alternative. This is also possible in other countries. What we need now is speed and pragmatism. At the same time, we are already active today and are equipping our plants with high-performance PV systems," Weise said. Finally, Seppeler, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, drew attention to the fact that the current situation cannot really be planned and that the company needs commitments from the Federal Network Agency and politicians in terms of natural gas supply.
Contact details and information on the companies and institutions presented here can be found in our interactive surface technology industry directory.