German aluminium maker Trimet to halve production at Essen plant

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – German aluminium maker Trimet will cut production at its main factory in the city of Essen by half in the coming weeks, CEO Philipp Schlueter told weekly Welt am Sonntag, citing huge costs for the energy-intense production process.

“Due to the further increase in energy prices as a result of the war in Ukraine, the situation has worsened dramatically. This is forcing us to make further adjustments,” he was quoted as saying.

Schlueter said the group was still honouring existing supply contracts.

Trimet had already started last year to cut production at three of its five German plants.

(Reporting by Christoph Steitz; editing by Tom Sims)