Why competitive industry needs cheap power and smart policy

Europe has already lost around half of its primary aluminium production in recent years, driven by soaring energy costs and intense international competition and yet the ambition to decarbonise industry has never been greater. To unpack the realities facing European industry, as well as the policies that are advancing or preventing deindustrialisation, Pamela Largue speaks with Paul Voss, Director General of European Aluminium. Voss explores why competitively priced electricity is fundamental to Europe's industrial future, why long-term investment in renewables, grids and storage matters more than short-term fixes, and how geopolitical events have reshaped Europe's thinking on trade, resilience and strategic autonomy.
While the industry's commitment to net zero is unwavering, Voss argues that policy must be grounded in technological reality.