Aperam has concluded a new loan agreement supported by a guarantee of up to €120 million ($139m) from Flemish government entity Gigarant NV managed by ParticipatieMaatschappij Vlaanderen (PMV). The guarantee enabled a syndicated loan provided by ING, KBC, and Belfius, and will support continued investment in the development and sustainability of the Genk facility, Kallanish notes.
The announcement was made during a recent visit by Matthias Diependaele, Minister-President of Flanders, to Genk. With the backing of the government, Aperam will continue to invest in Genk’s innovation, supporting regional supply chains, and promoting sustainable employment.
“This partnership with Gigarant and PMV empowers Aperam Genk to pursue its investments in industrial innovation and the green energy transition,” says Aperam chief executive Frederico Ayres Lima. “It reinforces Aperam’s position in Flanders as one of the region’s largest employers, while advancing our global ambition to be the leading value creator in the circular economy of infinite world-changing materials.”
Between 2018 and 2024, the steelmaker invested over €350m at the Genk site to modernise production, accelerate digital transformation and its environmental transition. The company recently entered into a power purchase agreement (PPA) with LRM, a Belgian investment company, to source renewable electricity from the Kristal Solar Park in Limburg, complementing its existing solar plants at the Genk and Châtelet sites.
Aperam is investing in decarbonisation, aiming at a 20% reduction in scopes 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared with 2021 levels, on the path to net-zero emissions by 2050.
Natalia Capra France
