Gas stop would paralyse paper production

"A restriction of gas supply would inevitably lead to shortages of important paper products. There is no alternative for most businesses," said DIE PAPIERINDUSTRIE President Winfried Schaur. "Paper is central to maintaining significant parts of critical infrastructure such as food, medicine, hygiene and media. Policymakers must take this into account in all deliberations."

According to the survey, if the amount of gas were reduced to 30%, only about 39% of the otherwise usual amount of paper, cardboard and paperboard could be produced on average. This would mean stop-and-go operations for most mills, which are often untested in practice. In the case of a complete supply freeze, only about 12% of the usual amount of paper could be produced on average, with slight differences in the individual paper grades. Only the few manufacturers who use other energy sources such as coal, oil or substitute fuels would be able to produce. In addition, shutdowns are likely to cause damage to the paper machines. Suppliers of filling and auxiliary materials for paper production would also be affected by a gas freeze and the supply chains would be additionally burdened.

The feedback on the survey makes it clear that a gas freeze would not only affect paper production. The process heat provided by some paper mills for neighbouring companies would also no longer be available in the event of a production stop.