The Government publishes the bases for granting 450 million euros in aid to the gas-intensive industry

The Official State Gazette today publishes the governing bases for granting 450 million euros to offset the additional costs due to the exceptional increase in natural gas prices in 2022.

This aid is based on the European Commission's Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework and will be granted only for 2023 to compensate the extra costs incurred by the most natural gas intensive industries during 2022.

The Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism, Héctor Gómez said that "this aid responds to the concern of companies to maintain their productive activity and will allow them to maintain such key sectors such as ceramics, paper and glass. In short, it is a further demonstration of the commitment to the reindustrialisation of the country and to the recovery of industrial policy as a state policy".

This line of aid will allow these industries to receive compensation of up to 4 million euros per company to balance the increase in the price of natural gas, and up to 25 million euros per company if they can prove a reduction in EBITDA for 2022 of more than 30% compared to the previous year.

This aid forms part of the measures promoted by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism aimed at improving the competitiveness of energy-intensive industry.

The sectors to benefit include food, pulp and paper, basic chemicals, glass, tiles, frits and glazes and other ceramic products, lime and gypsum, as well as several basic metals sectors.

As well as this aid for 450 million euros, the Government also approved a 500 million euro line, which is already available to gas-intensive companies to mitigate their liquidity problems.

Other aid to the electro-intensive industry

Last Saturday the Official State Gazette published the call for applications for the offset mechanism for charges attributable to the financing of specific remuneration for renewables and high-efficiency cogeneration and for additional financing in non-peninsular territories. The mechanism - with a budget of 85.97 million euros - is aimed at private companies that own a supply point or installation and hold an electro-intensive consumer certificate.

The deadline for submitting applications and the corresponding documentation will be 20 working days, from 18 July to 14 August 2023, inclusive.

The main item introduced in this call is - in line with the new European Guidelines - to make a distinction between activities "at significant risk", which will be eligible for aid of 85% of the eligible costs, and activities "at risk", which will be eligible for aid of 75% of the eligible costs.

However, new EU guidelines allow beneficiaries carrying out activities in "at risk" sectors to also obtain aid of 85% of eligible costs if they comply with certain obligations.

In addition, the possibility of granting additional aid in excess of 85% is added for particularly electro-intensive installations.

Non official translation