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| ArcelorMittal |
ArcelorMittal’s SteelUp! project at Belval in Luxembourg is advancing into its second phase and is nearing completion. This brownfield modernization project aims to relocate the production of semi-finished products used in the Rodange sections mill, enhancing efficiency and reducing emissions.
Key Modernization Initiatives
- Workstation Installations & Commissioning: New workstations will become operational before entering the commissioning phase by year-end.
- Enhanced Electric Arc Furnace (EAF): The digitized “no man on the floor” EAF will improve safety, reduce energy consumption by 15%, and increase heavy sections productivity by 15%.
- Vacuum Degassing System: This system will eliminate dissolved gas, improving steel quality.
- Continuous Casting Transformation: The transformation allows for new high-carbon steel grades and heavier beam blanks.
- Expanded Scrap Baskets: The larger baskets will enable the furnace to be filled in a single operation, enhancing steel melting efficiency.
Increased Production & Automation
The continuous casting reinforcement enables production of a broad range of profiles (320 kg/m to 915 kg/m), typically requiring two separate lines at other plants. Additionally, automation is underway, with new extractors set to arrive by September 2025. A new vacuum degasser will be commissioned by mid-2025.
A new 150m² platform will house a 100-tonne hot briquetted iron (HBI) supply system. HBI, stored in a nearby silo, will facilitate the production of metallurgical grades previously only possible using blast furnaces.
Sustainability & Carbon Reduction
- The modernized facility will achieve a certified low-carbon steel footprint of below 300kg per tonne, cutting CO2 emissions by 200,000 tonnes per year.
- The Belval site will receive the XCarb label for its rail production.
- The new Belval EAF costs approximately €67 million ($72.4 million), with €15 million in state subsidies.
Boosting ArcelorMittal’s Production Capacity
In 2023, ArcelorMittal Luxembourg produced 1.9 million tonnes of crude steel, employing 3,368 workers. The new Belval EAF is expected to increase annual production to 2.5 million tonnes.
Commitment to Decarbonization
ArcelorMittal is investing heavily in decarbonization, product quality, and capacity expansion at its Luxembourg long-products facilities in Differdange and Belval, further cementing its position as a leader in sustainable steel production.
