A new industrial park near Mersch should bring 35 companies and 1,200 jobs to the region, but despite the project being underway for a decade already there is little progress on the ground due to administrative obstacles.
The Zone d’activités économiques régionale Mierscherdall (Zamid in short) is being developed by the municipalities of Mersch, Lintgen and Lorenzweiler in the Mierscherbierg area. So far, 2 million euros have been invested, as well as 850,000 in compensation measures to plant trees.
Mersch mayor Michel Malherbe is frustrated with the lack of progress: “If you want to set up a project like this and you see 10 years later where you are, what else has to be done, one can only shake their head.”
Malherbe criticised that communication between the various ministries and administrations is not always smooth. The rules regarding compensation measures are not really logical, according to him, even though Zamid is a pioneer when it comes to energy consumption.
“We have the sewage treatment plant below, where the treated water is pumped back into the Alzette river at 11 degrees. Ideally, this temperature would be seven degrees. Therefore, we build pumps and pipes which push the water up to the Zamid, where the four degrees are used to heat buildings that are built there,” explains the mayor.
Photovoltaic systems are planned on the roof of every company. The electricity generated will be used, among other things, to enable bus company Sales Lentz to charge its 100 vehicles at a competitive price. In addition, large batteries will allow electricity to be stored.
Meanwhile, across from the industrial park, new sports infrastructure is being built, which will include football, basketball, handball, tennis, judo, gymnastics and climbing facilities and clubs. Three architects are currently competing for the project. This project could be delayed too, however, as a spring has been discovered on the site.
Further projects include upgrading the Kulturhaus with a fixed auditorium between 200-250 seats, plus more rooms, as well as building a new primary school and so-called reading house, where the city archives will also be located.
On 4 May, on the day of St. Florian, among other things the patron saint of firefighters, a firefighter’s museum will be inaugurated in Möschdref.
The cost of all these projects? 15 million euros for the reading house, 30 million euros for the culture centre, 120 million euros for the sports complex, 70 million euros for the Zamid and 1.5 million euros for the fire department museum. While the municipality of Mersch currently has 5 million euros in debt, it has taken loans to pay for the projects.
