Poland has the highest electricity prices in Europe, and the situation threatens to halt production in energy-intensive industries, warns Przemysław Sztuczkowski, CEO of steelmaker Cognor. Without systemic relief, Polish factories will relocate abroad, making competition with German rivals impossible.
Sztuczkowski told WNP that the price of scrap metal has stabilised at around PLN 1,250 per tonne, but the real problem lies elsewhere. Poland, alongside Albania, remains the only European country that has not introduced energy price relief for industry. Other nations have implemented systemic solutions, while Polish manufacturers face what he called 'horrendously high’ power costs.
The CEO stressed that high energy prices affect not only the steel sector but also chemicals, cement, and fertilisers. The lack of government action is driving industry out of the country. German steel mills pay PLN 200 less per megawatt-hour for electricity. How can Polish companies compete?
Government inertia and lost chances
Sztuczkowski recalled extensive talks with former Industry Minister Marzena Czarnecka, which he said produced no results. 'A year and a half went to waste. We only get promises, nothing happens, while other countries do not sit idle.’ He expressed frustration that the Polish government has not matched relief measures adopted abroad.
The Cognor chief also pointed to the broader consequences: if energy-intensive sectors shut down, entire supply chains and thousands of jobs will be at risk. The situation is already causing investors to reconsider new projects in Poland.
Coal as a lifeline against EU climate policy
Commenting on raw materials, Sztuczkowski noted that Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa is now the EU’s sole producer of coking coal after ending mining in the Czech Republic. He argued that Poland should exploit its own coal resources instead of following Brussels’ 'absurd’ guidelines. China mines over 4.8 billion tonnes of coal annually, India aims for 1.5 billion, and the US under Donald Trump is turning to coal for data centres and AI. Meanwhile, the EU’s climate policy is destroying European competitiveness.
Sztuczkowski called for abandoning the European Green Deal, resuming domestic coal mining, and modernising conventional power plants. 'Wind and solar energy are unstable. Industry needs reliable baseload power. Without ETS charges, coal-fired energy would be the cheapest,’ he said.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. Materiały prasowe / Cognor Holding
