MUNICH (dpa-AFX) - Wacker Chemie CEO Christian Hartel has once again criticized high energy costs in Germany. "Compared to international levels, our energy prices are still far too high. For our competitiveness, this is a big burden," the manger told the newspaper group "Münchner Merkur/tz" (Friday). "We consume 0.8 percent of Germany's electricity and 0.5 percent of its gas, making us one of the country's top ten electricity buyers."

Energy is "a kind of raw material" for his company, he said. "We have, of course, clearly felt the high prices." But because Wacker Chemie purchases energy "strategically over different periods of time," "the price spikes in 2022 did not have such a strong impact for us," Hartel said. "Our purchasing strategy will keep energy costs at about the same level as the previous year."/bsj/DP/mis