ArcelorMittal has benefited from €24,751.634 in public aid in Luxembourg between 2016 and 2025, according to the reply from economy minister Lex Delles (DP) to a parliamentary question submitted by MP Joëlle Welfring (déi Gréng). The highest amount was in 2023, when €16,034,685 was granted, compared with €1,904,258 in 2024. This aid covers industrial projects with “cross-cutting objectives in which decarbonisation is a central element,” with no precise distinction between the components financed.

In her question, submitted 25 June, Welfring asked how ArcelorMittal’s planned halt of several green steel projects in Germany would affect Luxembourg. She pointed out that a memorandum of understanding had been signed in September 2022 between the ministry of the economy and the steel group to support the development of low-carbon steel projects in Luxembourg. The MP also asked about the status of the national roadmap for decarbonising the industry.

In response, the economy minister referred to his 17 July reply to parliamentary question no. 2503, in which he stated that “the steelmaker’s decision does not call into question the investments underway in the country.” The project to modernise the Belval electric furnace has thus been confirmed. The facilities in Luxembourg “already operate with electric furnaces,” he said, unlike the group’s other European sites, which are still dependent on blast furnaces. The government has not identified “any signals of restructuring or capacity reductions” and points out that ArcelorMittal's commitments remain governed by the tripartite Lux2025 agreement, which is in force until the end of the year.

In his latest parliamentary response, published 24 July, Delles also highlighted the introduction of a new aid scheme based on the European Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework. This scheme will support investment in low-carbon industrial equipment, as well as cover certain operating costs associated with electrification, such as the purchase of green energy or the adaptation of infrastructure. This new mechanism complements existing aid for environmental protection, the legal framework for which is currently being revised. The national roadmap for decarbonising industry, published in 2022, is currently being updated. Discussions are underway with the companies concerned to adapt the support tools to the current realities on the ground.

This article was originally published in French.