The biggest announcement in the Industrial Strategy, the British Industry Supercharger expanded to give up to 90 per cent relief on electricity network charges, up from the previous 60 per cent,a significant milestone for over 7,000 energy-intensive businesses. For the aluminium processors and producers alone, energy is a high proportion of their operating costs. “Energy competitiveness is a defining issue for the aluminium sector. Without decisive support, producers and processors across the UK risk becoming globally unviable,” noted Nadine Bloxsome, CEO of ALFED.
However, as Bloxsome also cautioned, “The Supercharger expansion is a major step forward, but we now need urgent clarity on who qualifies, how SMEs can benefit, and how this aligns with future emissions reporting obligations.”
