Wilmes marked his inaugural official visit at the ceremony hosted by the Federation of Luxembourg Industrialists (FEDIL), emphasising the government’s openness to collaboration.
In his address, Wilmes conveyed a resolute message to FEDIL, stating, “We will do it all together, with you. This government is ready to act. You can count on us.”
FEDIL President Michèle Detaille, in response, delivered a candid assessment of Luxembourg’s industrial policy over the past five years.
She noted a decrease in the carbon footprint across Europe, a positive trend shadowed by concerns about the primary cause — de-industrialisation. Detaille remarked, “If we take a closer look at the last five years in Luxembourg, we can see that there have been no significant new industrial developments.”
FEDIL’s expectations articulated for the new government are clear: To restore attractiveness, Luxembourg must improve its capacity to accommodate new factories. Modernising existing production units is imperative, requiring concerted efforts supported by both public and private investments, particularly in the realm of decarbonisation. The call extends to making new land available and streamlining and expediting administrative procedures.
In the midst of the ongoing energy transition, Detaille underscores the pivotal role of electricity, anticipating a 60 to 70% share, with hydrogen only playing a marginal role. However, the FEDIL President voiced concerns about Luxembourg’s competitiveness in terms of electricity prices.
Detaille provided a comparative analysis, stating, “From mid-2022 to mid-2023, the integrated electricity supply price for large industrial consumers in Germany was twice that in France.” While acknowledging the final electricity prices could not be directly compared between Germany and Luxembourg, she emphasised the stark contrast in competitiveness between German and French prices. Detaille went further to highlight the environmental impact, noting that the carbon footprint of German electricity, especially on a typical November day, can be up to ten times greater than that of French electricity.
Luxembourg currently imports its electricity from Germany. The issue of French nuclear-generated electricity remains a sensitive topic in the national discourse.
Full report by RTL Télé (in Luxembourgish)
