Energy prices are soaring and with them the prospects for economic growth in Europe. What is Somater doing to secure its production in an increasingly threatening environment for the manufacturing industry?
First of all, and not only since the Ukrainian crisis, we are focusing on reducing our own consumption. Somater has committed to reducing its energy consumption and, with it, its carbon footprint, by 25% by 2025. While our investments in this area are beginning to bear fruit, they are far from compensating for the current hyperinflation. We have therefore launched an additional energy saving program to reduce our electricity consumption rapidly by 15% from 2023.
However, should the current inflationary trend continue in the medium term, causing energy prices to multiply by a factor of 4 to 5, Somater will be forced, like many other companies, to protect its industrial facilities by resorting to occasional production stoppages. The experience we have accumulated in this respect during the pandemic will enable us to optimize our production in crisis mode in order to respond in an agile manner to our customers’ needs.
We also emphasize the decisive role of the public authorities in the current situation. In addition to active management of the crisis and its consequences, we expect increased flexibility from local authorities. Let’s take the example of our Plastuni Normandie site: the project for a photovoltaic farm near the plant, which has been in the pipeline for several years and is eagerly awaited, continues to be the subject of lengthy diligence on the part of the administration… For more information, read the article published in Les Informations Dieppoises.
