The leaders of Britain‘s energy-intensive industries such as steel and glass have warned they would be forced to shut down production if wholesale fuel prices continue to soar further.

Wholesale gas prices have increased 400% this year in Europe, and 250% in United Kingdom. The Energy Intensive Users Group (EIUG) urged the government to find ways to support sectors such as paper, glass, cement, lime, ceramics, chemicals and steel.

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EIUG representatives held held talks on Friday with business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, who assured to tackle the problem, reports the BBC.

Gareth Stace, director general of UK Steel, said Kwarteng had provided “no immediate solutions or guarantees.”

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This was baffling because governments in the rest of Europe had stepped in to support industry, although they faced lower energy costs than in the UK, Stace added. Andrew Large, director general of the Confederation of Paper Industries, told ITV News that he could not rule out factories having to suspend production due to increased energy costs.

David Dalton of the British Glass Manufacturers Association said some companies were days away from being forced to take such measures.

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Kwarteng’s spokesperson said the government recognised the recent increase in global gas prices as a cause of concern for businesses in the UK. “We are in regular contact with Ofgem and business groups to explore ways to manage the impact of rising global prices,” he said.

EIUG chair Richard Leese said the government had made “positive first steps to develop practical solutions.”

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“EIUG will work with government to avoid threats both to the production of essential domestic and industrial products, as well an enormous range of supply chains critical to our economy,” he said.

Britain’s economy is already coping with a supply chain crisis caused partly due to a post-Brexit shortage of workers and global strains of coronavirus.