German industries worry over soaring costs

German industries dependent on gas to keep their plants running are facing worries over supplies and soaring costs. At Zinkpower's facility in the small village of Meckenheim in western Germany, steel parts used for everything from trucks to buildings are rustproofed by dipping them in molten zinc.

Factory manager Jan Eckerskorn explained that the zinc must be kept in a molten state 365 days a year and that if the gas is cut off, the zinc will harden. The company's treatment is needed for solar panels and electricity generating wind farms which will produce the renewable energy.

Other German industries that use lots of natural gas are in the same predicament: makers of glass bottles, steel, medicines, chemicals and even laundries that clean sheets for hospitals. All of them are facing higher costs and worries of whether they will get the energy they need. And that is a problem for Europe's biggest economy after years of relying on Russian gas.