thyssenkrupp shares: thyssenkrupp boss for detachment from Russian energy

“We support the politicians’ plans to get rid of Russian energy as quickly as possible, even if it becomes expensive and poses major financial challenges for many companies,” Merz told the “Spiegel”. “For now, it’s just a matter of showing Putin a clear edge as a unified economic system.”

However, Merz rejects an abrupt ban on imports of Russian gas: “A minimum purchase from Russia is essential in the coming months.” Otherwise the economy threatens “to literally implode”. That would also call into question the financing of the green transformation. If Russia, for its part, stops gas deliveries and there is a supply bottleneck, production plants would have to be shut down in an orderly manner, otherwise they could be partially destroyed, said Merz.

According to the company, the industrial and steel group is working on becoming less dependent on raw materials from Russia. “We were able to find alternatives relatively quickly for the Russian coal, which is gradually being replaced by American, Canadian and Australian supplies,” said the thyssenkrupp boss.

As a result of the war, Merz wants to accelerate the conversion of her company to climate-neutral production with “green” hydrogen. “Speed ​​is required because we expect the demand for energy to increase sharply. Germany must therefore use this crisis to quickly switch to non-fossil fuels such as hydrogen.” For this, however, politics must become faster.

With “green” hydrogen, which is produced without CO2 emissions on the basis of renewable energies, the huge transformation process, for example in the German steel and chemical industry, is to be made possible.

/sl/DP/nas

DUSSELDORF (dpa-AFX)

Image sources: thyssenkrupp AG