Miscanthus is cultivated on agricultural land and is considered a sustainable and trendy raw material in the construction sector.

The Minister of Agriculture, Food, and Viticulture, Martine Hansen, today welcomed Ina Scharrenbach, Minister of Interior, Municipal Affairs, Construction, and Digitization of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, accompanied by Professor Ralph Pude (Chair of Renewable Resources, University of Bonn) and representatives from the Hanen architecture office to discuss cross-border future perspectives. The Luxembourg delegation also included representatives from the Ministry of the Economy, Luxinnovation, the Chamber of Agriculture, ASTA, the National Council for Sustainable Construction, the Council for Economic Development in Construction, Contern SA, and Miscanthus-x.lu.

This first ministerial meeting aimed to explore potential synergies between North Rhine-Westphalia and Luxembourg on the topic of building with miscanthus (elephant grass). As a natural raw material and fibrous plant, miscanthus—a climate-neutral, fast-growing plant—is ideal for use in construction materials.

During the information exchange, topics discussed included cultivation and marketing strategies for miscanthus in Luxembourg, experiences with miscanthus as a construction material in the Luxembourg construction industry, circular economy and bio-based construction materials, as well as practical examples and challenges.

Luxembourg entrepreneur Carlo Posing (Miscanthus-x.lu) has been active for years in the cultivation and distribution of miscanthus in Luxembourg and shared valuable experiences from various pilot construction projects using miscanthus limestone (Contern SA). In North Rhine-Westphalia, the Hanen architecture office is planning larger construction projects using bio-based building materials (oak or miscanthus limestone) and is seeking competent manufacturers. The Luxembourg construction sector has also expressed interest in this topic.

Martine Hansen sees the extensive cultivation of miscanthus as a potential avenue for agricultural diversification. The Minister of Agriculture, Food, and Viticulture, along with the Minister of the Economy, SMEs, Energy, and Tourism, Lex Delles, support the idea of increasing production and demand while simplifying administrative barriers through pilot projects. Currently, miscanthus is cultivated on approximately 80 hectares of agricultural land in Luxembourg.

With a joint cooperation concept between the ministries of Luxembourg and North Rhine-Westphalia, cross-border collaboration will be possible in the future.

Press release from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Viticulture