Although the upcoming NOME auctions and whether major industrial enterprises will be offered access to these for lower electricity costs has stood as a main concern for the sector in recent days, local industrialists are also keeping a close watch on another matter of interest concerning the RES-supporting ETMEAR surcharge included on electricity bills and whether the government will implement a related EU directive.

The government’s implementation of the EU directive dealing with RES-supporting surcharges would set an upper limit on the amount of surcharges payable by energy-intensive industry in support of the RES sector.

Energy-intensive industrial enterprises whose electricity bill costs exceed 20 percent of their total costs should be paying no more than 0.5 percent of their added value, according to the EU directive. Also, the RES-support surcharge’s upper limit for enterprises whose electricity bill costs exceed 10 percent of their respective total costs should stand at 4 percent of their added value, according to the directive.

The government has yet to make revisions in order to adjust to this EU directive. The industrial sector is waiting to see how the case unfolds as its implementation promises to provide benefits to major steel and cement industries as well as medium-voltage industries. It will also boost the industrial sector’s level of competitiveness.