Eurelectric has launched a new roundtable series, Power Couples 2.0, aimed at boosting Europe’s industrial competitiveness through electrification.
The initiative will seek to bring together European policymakers and industry leaders to ‘shape Europe’s next industrial age – powered by clean electricity,’ Eurelectric said in a statement.
The establishment of Power Couples 2.0 is one of the main priorities of Eurelectric’s 2025–2027 mandate, with the first roundtable, which took place in Brussels, focusing on energy intensive industrial operations that are still heavily dependent on fossil fuels, and are therefore vulnerable to price volatility.
‘Industrial competitiveness’
“Europe’s industrial competitiveness depends on access to affordable, reliable and clean energy,” commented Markus Rauramo, president of Eurelectric and CEO of Fortum. “We will not achieve this if we keep relying on imported fossil fuels. Electrifying Europe’s industrial base is essential to secure both our competitiveness and our energy sovereignty.”
As Eurelectric noted, energy price pressures following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine forced many European industrial operators to shut down or relocate operations, leading to a 5% decline in industrial energy consumption in 2023. While recovery has been reported in several markets, regional disparities remain, it added.
‘Targeted support’
“Our analysis shows that electrifying energy-intensive operations could become cost-competitive by 2030,” added Kristian Ruby, secretary general of Eurelectric.
“This requires targeted support to close the funding gap, as well as a flexible, decarbonised grid allowing industries to switch to electric solutions and remain globally competitive.”
Eurelectric has previously engaged with industry actors, previously taking part in the Antwerp Dialogues on industrial electrification and competitiveness, as well as publishing a report outlining electrification pathways for individual industrial sectors.
The Power Couples 2.0 series builds on this work, with Eurelectric’s vice-presidents – Catherine MacGregor, CEO of Engie, and Georgios Stassis, Chairman and CEO of PPC – set to engage with high-level corporate and political decision makers as part of the series. Read more here.
