Belval, Luxembourg

Belval is a quarter and neighbourhood in the west of Esch-sur-Alzette, in south-western Luxembourg. Belval is the site of the large steelworks that dominate the city. Due to the dominance of the steelworks, Belval suffered from the abandonment of steel production in Luxembourg, and is undergoing an extensive regeneration programme to help diversify beyond steel production. The redevelopment plan, costed at €450m, will turn the brownfield site into a large scientific and cultural centre, including the science faculty of the University of Luxembourg. It is the location of the Rockhal, Luxembourg's largest music venue, which opened in 2005.

Belval is served by two railway stations operated by Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois: Belval-Université and Belval-Rédange.

The siderurgical era

Between 1909 and 1912, the company Gelsenkirchener Bergwerks A.G. built a brand new steelworks at Esch-sur-Alzette: the factory Adolf-Emil.

In 1911, the company ARBED (Aciéries Réunies de Burbach-Eich-Dudelange) was created by the merger and acquisition of the 3 largest steelworks in Luxembourg.

In 1994, ARBED decided to change its type of steel production for long products (such as sheet piling) at its sites in Luxembourg. The steel production moved from produced from iron ore with blast furnaces to electric arc furnaces using recycled steel.

With the closing of the last blast furnace in Esch-Belval in July 1997, 120 hectares (approximatively 300 acres) were available for a reconversion process, offering a place with a high economic development for the country and the whole southern region.

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