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10 Jan 2023

MPA welcomes new energy discount scheme, but is it enough?

The Mineral Products Association has welcomed the Government’s announcement of the new Energy Bill Discount Scheme (EBDS), extending the Energy Bill Relief Scheme.

The broad support available through the EBDS encompasses most of the products manufactured by MPA member including aggregates, asphalt, cement, concrete and industrial minerals. However, MPA says the proposed support may not be sufficient to maintain the competitiveness of UK manufacturing should prices return to the high volatility observed over the last 12 months. 

For energy intensive mineral products like cement and lime, tackling high energy prices is critical.  These sectors compete in international markets and Government support is vital to ensure high energy costs don’t render UK producers uncompetitive, which can lead to an increase in imports, a reduction in domestic production, and the associated loss of jobs and the sector’s economic contribution.

However, while energy prices are expected to remain high for the foreseeable future, the EBDS is only relatively short term and could leave the mineral products industry exposed if price fluctuations continue. A longer-term solution, through delivery of the commitments set out in Britain’s Energy Security Strategy, is required to properly address high UK energy costs.

Jon Prichard, MPA Chief Executive, said:

“The announcement of ongoing Government support is welcome, but there is still a risk that in the event of highly volatile prices, MPA members could remain exposed to high energy costs. As such, this support package provides only a partial, short-term fix. We call on the Government to deliver the electricity market reforms promised in the British Energy Security Strategy as a matter of priority. Electrification is a key driver to decarbonise UK industry and the transition to net zero will rely on long-term secure supplies of competitively priced electricity. MPA believes that fundamental electricity market reform is the only way to ensure this is achieved.”

Ends.

About the Mineral Products Association:

The Mineral Products Association (MPA) is the trade association for the aggregates, asphalt, cement, concrete, dimension stone, lime, mortar and silica sand industries. With the merger of British Precast, and affiliation of the British Association of Reinforcement (BAR), the British Calcium Carbonate Federation, the Cement Admixtures Assocation (CAA), CONSTRUCT, Eurobitume, MPA Northern Ireland, MPA Scotland and the UK Quality Ash Association (UKQAA), it has a growing membership of 520 companies and is the sectoral voice for mineral products. MPA membership is made up of the vast majority of independent SME quarrying companies throughout the UK, as well as the 9 major international and global companies. It covers 100% of UK cement and lime production, 90% of GB aggregates production, 95% of asphalt and over 70% of ready-mixed concrete and precast concrete production. In 2018, the industry supplied £16 billion worth of materials and services to the Economy. It is also the largest supplier to the construction industry, which had annual output valued at £172 billion in 2018. Industry production represents the largest materials flow in the UK economy and is also one of the largest manufacturing sectors.

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