Deutsche Bank examines Europe’s structurally higher electricity costs as both a competitiveness threat and infrastructure opportunity. Energy-intensive sectors use 45% of EU industrial energy despite contributing under 4% of gross value added, while roughly EUR584 billion of grid investment is needed by 2030 to improve resilience.
Europe’s electricity price premium
Deutsche Bank
Markus Müller, Daniel Sacco
Research
20 Pages
Key Takeaways
Power premium persists: During the 2025 heatwave, German daily power prices rose as much as 175%, with peak prices exceeding EUR400/MWh.
Industry bears burden: Chemicals, metals, cement, and glass consume about 45% of EU industrial energy despite representing under 4% of gross value added.
Grid spending accelerates: Europe needs roughly EUR584 billion of grid investment by 2030, while cross-border transmission capacity is projected to expand over 100 GW by 2040.