Arcelor recently inaugurated the Belval Medium Sections Mill installed in its Esch-Belval site in Luxembourg.

The rolling mill, one of the largest investments carried out by Arcelor to date, has an annual production capacity of 800,000 tonnes. It produces light and medium size sections, U channels and angle sections.

"This new asset installed in Luxembourg, in the heart of Europe, is a modern facility that incorporates state-of-the-art rolling techniques. It reflects our will to permanently improve the productivity of our European facilities and to face the challenges set by the dynamic and rapidly evolving global competition in our sector of activity", underlined Guy Dollé, Chairman of Arcelor's Management Board, who referred to the new facility as part of "the chain of excellence launched several generations ago in this region".

Roland Junck, Senior Executive Vice President of Arcelor Long Carbon Steel, placed this investment in the framework of the Lux 2006 plan aimed at revitalizing Arcelor's steel plants and wire-drawing facilities in Luxembourg. In order to consolidate the operations of Arcelor on its historic markets, "we have high-performance industrial facilities enabling us to reach a productivity rate that is close to one hour per tonne of finished product, which makes us far less vulnerable to the competition from emerging countries", he stated.

The mill, with a workforce of around 200 operators, represents an investment of over 170 million euros. Its installation immediately downstream of the Belval factory’s continuous caster guarantees a more rational use of energy and reduced CO2 emissions.

Arcelor is a leading player of the global steel industry. With a turnover of 30 billion euros in 2004, the company holds leading positions in its main markets: automotive, construction, household appliances and packaging as well as general industry. The company — number one steel producer in Europe and Latin America — intends to further expand internationally in order to capture the growth potential of developing economies and offer technologically advanced steel solutions to its global customers. Arcelor employs 95,000 associates in over 60 countries. The company places its commitment to sustainable development at the heart of its strategy and ambitions to be a benchmark for economic performance, labor relations and social responsibility.