The Polish steel industry is making a strong and immediate appeal to both the national government and the European Commission, calling for electricity prices to be lowered to €50/MWh for energy-intensive industries, according to media reports. At the recently held New Industry Forum in Katowice, Chamber of Metallurgical Industry and Trade president Mirosław Motyka highlighted that the industry has already proposed concrete solutions, but immediate implementation is needed. Stating that without competitive electricity costs Poland risks losing its competitive edge to other European steel producers, he noted that the current average wholesale electricity price for next-day delivery in Poland stands at about €97.96/MWh, compared to an EU range of €51.4-114.6/MWh.
As SteelOrbis previously reported, the German government is introducing a capped electricity price for industry and compensation measures for energy-intensive sectors, featuring a €50/MWh ceiling and a three-year €4.5 billion support package, effective as of 2026.
Strategic pressures: energy cost and decarbonization
Polish steel industry representatives stated that the challenge for Poland’s steel sector is multifaceted: energy cost remains “the key barrier to the industry’s recovery”, while there is rising pressure to modernize blast-furnace operations and adopt carbon-capture technologies rather than switching solely to electric arc furnaces.
Immediate call-to-action
Concluding that, without rapid anti-crisis policy measures, Poland risks losing its position in the European steel market, the industry leaders noted that the required target of €50/MWh for energy-intensive industries is framed as a threshold to restore competitiveness and stimulate recovery.
