Credit: Direction de la défense

On Thursday, the cabinet of the Luxembourg government approved a €137 million budget to modernise and extend the military barracks in Härebierg, Diekirch.

The draft bill agreed is part of a vast programme of rehabilitation and modernisation of the military infrastructure of the Grand Duc Jean barracks to meet the growing number of challenges and functional needs to which the Luxembourg army is confronted as part of the execution of national and international defense policies. Over the pastfour years, investments worth €67 million have already been made in infrastructure at Härebierg, notably as part of the construction of the logistics hall inaugurated in 2015.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Etienne Schneider said: "At a time when military missions are becoming more numerous and complex, a barracks with modern equipment and efficient and rational operation is an absolute necessity. We are thus marking an important additional step towards a modern army."

The Minister of Sustainable Development and Infrastructure, François Bausch, said: "The desire to take advantage of existing buildings by transforming them and adapting them to the current needs of the army rather than building new buildings, is fully committed to the philosophy of sustainable development and the renovation strategy. In addition, the materials used will respect the principles of sustainable development, the ecological criteria and the requirements imposed by the energy concept."

The rehabilitation and modernisation programme approved today by the Governing Council concerns the redevelopment of existing buildings as well as the extension of the site, including the construction of sports facilities and a central kitchen. The purpose of this new construction is to provide the military with leisure and recreation areas as well as spaces for sharing and conviviality (canteen, multipurpose room). The new sports hall will allow the army to have the necessary infrastructure for the physical training of its staff in the rules of the art.

Most of the 34 existing military barracks buildings were built in the 1950s. In the future, the energy renovation of buildings and the installation of mechanical ventilation with heat recovery will reduce the heating energy consumption of existing pavilions by around 50% on average. The rehabilitation and modernisation programme concerns a total of approximately 83,000 m2 of gross built space, of which approximately 16,500 m2 is new construction and 66,500 m2 is renovated.​