Judgment of the Court (Ninth Chamber) of 7 September 2017 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Finanzgericht Düsseldorf — Germany) — Hüttenwerke Krupp Mannesmann GmbH v Hauptzollamt Duisburg

(Case C-465/15) (1)

((Reference for a preliminary ruling - Taxation - Taxation of energy products and electricity - Directive 2003/96/EC - Scope - Article 2(4)(b) - Electricity used principally for the purposes of chemical reduction - Concept))

(2017/C 374/04)

Language of the case: German

Referring court

Finanzgericht Düsseldorf

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicant: Hüttenwerke Krupp Mannesmann GmbH

Defendant: Hauptzollamt Duisburg

Operative part of the judgment

The third indent of Article 2(4)(b) of Council Directive 2003/96/EC of 27 October 2003 restructuring the Community framework for the taxation of energy products and electricity must be interpreted as meaning that the electricity used for the operation of turbo blowers intended to compress the air subsequently used in a blast furnace in the process of producing pig iron by chemical reduction of iron ore is not ‘electricity used principally for the purposes of chemical reduction’ within the meaning of that provision.

(1)  OJ C 398, 30.11.2015.