Peter von Zumbusch is plant manager of the chemical company Wacker in Burghausen, Bavaria, which employs 8,000 people. The production of semiconductor silicon as a basic material for chip production is a key pillar. And this pillar is energy-intensive. Wacker in Burghausen consumes about as much electricity as 900,000 households. Peter von Zumbusch is in favour of the German energy transition and is convinced that the volatility and dark doldrums of wind and solar power are manageable. Wacker itself is well on the way to climate neutrality. The big problem for von Zumbusch is energy prices. Wacker works with an electricity price that is several times higher than that of its Chinese competitors. This is not sustainable in the long term. His demand: electricity-intensive industries must be supported by the state during the transformation phase.
