Craft Industry
ManufacturingTo make this measure more effective and tailored to the specific context of your company, we recommend that you first perform an overall analysis of your energy situation.
The measure aims to replace laser cutting and etching of mechanical parts with the photochemical machining (photo etching) process which consists of “printing” the component design onto a photoresist laminated onto a metal sheet. The areas of photoresist that have not been printed are removed, exposing the metal, which is then chemically removed.
Chemical etching, also known as photochemical machining, photochemical milling or photo etching, can be used to create complex and high-precision components with extremely tight tolerances from almost any metal.
This measure can lead to a very significant reduction in electricity consumption. The installation of this technological innovation requires a partial production shutdown for its implementation and would entail a medium- to long-term return on investment.
Selecting this technology depends on many factors, which are primarily the thickness and complexity of the parts, as well as the number of parts to be produced.
For the machine, financial savings will mainly come from reduced electricity consumption, which can be decreased by up to 80%. Photochemical machining requires metal parts to be washed with water maintained at a temperature of 20 °C, a printer (inkjet), UV lighting and a pump to spray the etchant dissolving the metal, all of which consume little energy.
Apart from energy savings and increased cutting precision, photochemical machining reduces material stress. Since the etching and cutting process does not involve the application of heat or physical impact, thermal stress and cutting problems are completely eliminated by photochemical etching. Likewise, there is no need for deburring, given the absence of burrs on the edges of the parts.
Please note: any application for government or non-government subsidies must comply with the “incentive effect”, subject to compliance with the subsidy conditions.
To ensure that the incentive effect of the aid is respected, no binding commitments may be made (acceptance of a quote; advance)
Aid for environmental protection
The law of 8 December 2025 on the renewal of the aid scheme for environmental and climate protection provides for the granting of investment aid to SMEs and large companies established in Luxembourg, with a business licence, and carrying out projects that contribute to environmental or climate protection.
This aid supports investments aimed at improving energy efficiency outside buildings. It is intended for initiatives that either reduce energy consumption by at least 20% or achieve energy savings of at least 250 MWh per year.
The following maximum rates apply:
| Activity | Company size | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Small | Medium | Large | |
| Energy efficiency outside buildings | 25 % | 20 % | 15 % |
When equipment is added to an existing installation and there is no counterfactual investment that is less environmentally friendly, the aid rate shown in the table above is doubled.
SMEs may receive aid upon request if they meet the conditions set out in Article 7 of this law, provided that the aid is less than €100,000 and more than €50,000.
Large enterprises, as well as SMEs, will also be able to participate in regular calls for projects, which will be announced below when they become available.
The General Directorate – State Aid and Company Financing will verify the eligibility of applications.
Call for projects for measures promoting energy efficiency outside buildings
A call for projects is open from 5 January 2026 to 30 June 2026 to support measures that promote energy efficiency outside buildings.
This call will be conducted on a ‘first come, first served’ basis, i.e. aid will be granted in the order in which applications are received, until the €15 million budget is exhausted. No specifications have been published; only the conditions specified in the law of 8 December 2025 on the renewal of the environmental and climate protection aid scheme will apply.
N.B. While several state subsidies cannot be granted for the same project, they can be combined with supplier subsidies.
Since 2015, natural gas and electricity suppliers are required to make energy savings for consumers under the obligation scheme. Since then, energy suppliers have been offering support and advice, as well as subsidy programmes for consumers to implement energy efficiency measures. The amount of the premium is proportional to the annual energy saving. The following suppliers offer this service for companies:
N.B. Supplier subsidies can be combined with a state subsidy for the same project.
The tax relief is calculated based on the investments and operating expenses incurred as part of an ecological and energy transition project.
The tax relief rate is set at 18% and is applied directly to the amount of tax due.
This deduction can be combined with standard state subsidies.
For the project to be eligible, it must meet at least one of the following objectives:
For certain objectives, minimum thresholds must be met.
To verify your eligibility and ensure that these thresholds are satisfied, it is recommended that the impact of the measure on one of the above conditions be certified by an expert or a design office.
Further details and conditions: Guichet.lu
For questions: Ministry of Economy – Bonus
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