Considering the relevance of the chemical industry as a supplier to more than 40 industrial sectors, it was considered for its importance in the list of essential industries, so it can operate and serve most of its clients during the health contingency.
"In this sense, we are calm with the measure taken by the government, although we continue with critical issues on our agenda, such as the need for a timely supply of raw materials and energy," said José María Bermúdez, president of the National Association of the Chemical Industry (ANIQ).
For its part, the utilization of the installed capacity of the national chemical industry is only 73 percent, not due to lack of demand, but due to lack of raw materials and energy.
"The situation has been complicated by the deterioration of oil production, as well as the availability of gas as a petrochemical input by Pemex, highlighting ethane and propane," Bermúdez explained.
ANIQ, an association that groups 260 companies and represents more than 95 percent of the private chemical production in the country, advocates increasing the production of natural gas in the southeast of the country and reaching the available natural gas with the start of the marine pipeline of the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE).
"In our dialogue with the Secretariats of Energy (SENER) and Economy (SECON) we have emphasized that Pemex's focus solely on oil has been breaking integration chains in the chemical industry," he said in an interview.
"Today, the government's priority is not in the gas supply for the chemical industry. The situation has been exacerbated and companies in the industry in the Coatzacoalcos area have received confirmation that Pemex cannot supply them with natural gas, ”so it is essential that the Energy Regulatory Commission approve the balancing adjustment mechanism when the CENAGAS intervenes the system, affirmed Miguel Benedetto, Director General of ANIQ.
The construction of the 16-kilometer gas pipeline between Zempoala and Coatzacoalcos is critical to bring natural gas from the marine pipeline to the Coatzacoalcos area. "So far, the federal government is not building it, there is interest from the IP in doing it, but we are still stuck in who does what."
"Likewise, we have proposed collaboration alternatives so that the industry has the necessary natural gas, as well as investment proposals to be able to import the ethane and ammonia that the country lacks," Benedetto said.
ANIQ faces the challenge of developing collaboration mechanisms with Pemex and private initiative to restore supply and stop the contraction of the industry.
It was achieved that our industry is considered essential and can continue operating during the pandemic, now we work "without achieving the clarity on the part of the government that we want on how the articulation of broken productive chains will be achieved," said José María Bermúdez.
He assured that the chemical industry has invested 12 billion dollars in new assets during the previous administration, while the demand for chemical products in the country has grown 6 percent annually in the last 15 years. "The underutilization of our capacity means that imports of chemical products continue to skyrocket," he warned.
On the other hand, he commented that "The problem of guaranteeing the production and importation of essential products is aggravated because the National Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks (Cofepris) shows a lag in the issuance of permits which complicates production and importation of supplies ”, added Miguel Benedetto. "It is urgent to unlock the investments," he concluded.
Source: Energy under debate
