The chemical industry is one of the most energy-intensive sectors of all.

Gas is essential for production.

It was therefore also the chemical industry that had spoken out particularly loudly in the past few months in view of an impending gas shortage.

“The situation is still absolutely challenging.

We shouldn't forget that," said the CEO of the Munich specialty chemicals group Wacker Chemie, Christian Hartel, in an interview with the FAZ. Despite all the initial discussions, politicians had managed to fill the local gas storage facilities, so that the situation was more resilient than just a few months ago.

Ilka Kopplin

Business correspondent in Munich.

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Nevertheless: "A lot still has to happen before next winter," stressed Hartel.

The first liquefied gas is landing in Germany, but that will not replace the volume from the Nord Stream 1 pipeline.

At least for the time being, however, he is somewhat more optimistic about the supply.

"Our gas supply, especially at the largest location in Burghausen, has been running without restrictions to date," said Hartel.

The M-Dax Group currently assesses the risk of major bottlenecks as low.

At the plant in Burghausen, which is located in Bavaria's so-called chemical triangle with several companies from the industry, the gas turbine was replaced with a more efficient model at the beginning of 2020 and is now benefiting from it.

In any case, in his opinion, energy-intensive industries in Germany have always been frugal.

"Because energy has never been cheap in this country," he said, referring to other countries, which is why energy-saving measures have always been at the top of the list.

In the summer, the company's own gas-fired power plant, which works with combined heat and power, was shut down for two weeks and electricity was bought in.

"Otherwise, however, it is difficult to save gas in the chemical industry without shutting down production."

Hartel therefore warned: "In the medium and long term, energy is also a competitive issue." Purchasing liquid gas is sometimes twice as expensive as pipeline gas.

"If we continue to see gas costs doubling in the future, that will be a structural challenge for the industry."

That is why the existing nuclear power plants should continue to operate.

It is an emergency situation that will probably not change fundamentally until next April, when the last three miles are to be taken off the grid: "In my view, all capacities must remain connected to the grid until a secure and competitive energy supply can be guaranteed can."

Wacker Chemie supplies all kinds of industries with its own products, from the pharmaceutical to the construction and chip industries.

Above all, the business with polysilicon, which is built into chips and solar panels, had developed particularly strongly in the past.

In the past third quarter, sales increased by 29 percent to around 2.1 billion euros, but in view of the increased costs for energy, raw materials and logistics, the operating result (EBIT) fell slightly to around 351 million euros.

Seen on an annual basis, however, they are above the values ​​of the previous year.

Criticism of funding programs

"We are headed for a very strong and successful 2022," said Hartel.

Business with products for the construction and textile industries had recently clouded over.

"We see a slowing momentum," he said, referring to Europe.

Wacker is well positioned in that the materials are also used for energy-related renovations.

Wacker also benefits from the European Green Deal, a catalog of measures and funding to achieve the EU's climate goals.