Dunapack is expecting price cuts from the opening up of the electricity market, we were told by the company’s deputy CEO, Zoltán Szikla. He claimed that the present tariff system works against large consumers like Dunapack, which pay some 25 per cent more for power than large companies operating in Austria or Germany. The company’s electricity bill this year will top some 1.7 billion forints, the greatest consumption being in its paper making operations.
Power consumption in the sector amounts to half a billion forints annually, and constitutes some 8.5 per cent of the activity’s total costs. Lowering energy expenditure could make a vital contribution to the company’s competitiveness. As things stand, expensive energy and the strengthening forint are bringing the company into an extremely difficult position.
The deputy CEO added that he has no fears for security of supply attaching to electricity liberalization, and views concerns in this direction as unfounded. The technical means are within reach, and transmission capacity must be increased and kept at a high standard. This is the basic condition for competition.
Supply is also assured, because there are several European countries – like Austria, Germany, France, Norway and Sweden – from which electricity can be purchased. Dunapack will principally favour countries whose power stations meet EU environmental requirements.
Zoltán Szikla did, however, express a fear that electricity competition could be a sham. Many parties are not interested in real opening of the energy market, because it would break MVM’s monopoly. An important issue, in his view, is whether Mavir will impose strict and competition-restricting conditions on consumers. (HÉ) |
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