German firms are expatriating in mass to Poland because of high energy costs. The irony: Poland’s energy supply is based 70% on coal. The Bełchatów power plant in Poland is the world’s largest lignite-fired power plant. The country also has a nuclear power program.
The latest news is that the flagship Miele company, a famous maker of household appliances, is relocating part of its production to Poland. But Miele is not alone. French automotive supplier Valeo plans to cease its production of electric motors in Bad Neustadt an der Saale in Franconia in mid-2024, relocating production to Poland. Automotive supplier IFA is also looking into relocating production from Haldensleben to Poland. Hearing aid manufacturer Bernafon is moving the production of its current in-the-ear devices from Berlin to Szczecin. TE Connectivity, which manufactures connectors for cars, among other things, in the Straubing-Bogen district, is cutting 170 jobs in Germany and building a production facility in Poland instead.
VW has announced that it will no longer be building its combustion-powered Golf in Wolfsburg, but in Poland instead. Mercedes is building a factory for electric vans in Jawor, Poland. And Ikea has most of their wooden furniture manufactured in Poland.
