ArcelorMittal launches new clean technology venture capital fund and new carbon fund

Friday, Jul 11, 2008

Luxembourg, 11 July 2008 - ArcelorMittal today announces the launch of:

• A new clean technology venture capital fund (with an initial clean technology investment of US$20 million in Miasolé), and;
• A new carbon fund;

as part of its commitment to finding solutions for environmental challenges, including climate change.

1: Clean Technology Venture Capital Fund

ArcelorMittal will be working with leading venture capital firms - including Bessemer Venture Partners, Khosla Ventures, and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers – to help finance clean technology innovation through the fund.

The objective of the fund is to support the commercialization of clean energy technologies, which will help in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. In particular, the fund will focus on ventures that have relevance for the steel industry and its customers. The fund is managed by a team from ArcelorMittal Flat Carbon Americas (FCA) and its investment decisions are taken by a six person Investment Committee chaired by Lou Schorsch, CEO of ArcelorMittal FCA.

The Fund has today made its first investment of US$20 million in Miasolé, a California-based pioneer in the development of versatile thin-film solar panels that is also backed by Bessemer Venture Partners, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Vantage Point Venture Partners.

Miasolé is manufacturing new solar products that utilize less semiconductor material than today’s legacy silicon modules and boasts the highest lab efficiencies of any thin film solar material. Miasolé has developed unique high volume manufacturing processes that enable efficient production of Copper Indium Gallium Selenium (CIGS) solar products on a flexible stainless steel substrate. This technology dramatically lowers the installed cost of Photovoltaic (PV) systems and will enable renewable energy from the sun to replace carbon generating fossil fuels.

2: Carbon Fund

The company also announces that it has created a new carbon fund in order to strategically engage in the carbon market and promote climate friendly solutions that are relevant for the steel industry. The fund, which has an initial investment commitment of €100 million (US$ 157 million) is currently looking at investment opportunities in renewable energy, energy efficiency, methane capture and greenhouse gas reducing technologies – all of which have the potential to generate carbon credits under the Kyoto Protocol. ArcelorMittal intends to use the carbon credits received from these Clean Development Mechanism and Joint Implementation projects for compliance in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.

About ArcelorMittal

ArcelorMittal is the world's largest integrated metals and mining company, with over 310,000 employees in more than 60 countries.

ArcelorMittal is the leader in all major global markets, including automotive, construction, household appliances and packaging, with leading R&D and technology, as well as sizeable captive supplies of raw materials and outstanding distribution networks. An industrial presence in over 20 countries across 4 continents exposes the company to all the key steel markets, from emerging to mature.

ArcelorMittal key financials for 2007 show revenues of USD 105.2 billion, with a crude steel production of 116 million tonnes, representing around 10 per cent of world steel output.

ArcelorMittal is listed on the stock exchanges of New York (MT), Amsterdam (MT), Paris ( MTP), Brussels (MTBL), Luxembourg (MT) and on the Spanish stock exchanges of Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid and Valencia (MTS).

For more information about ArcelorMittal visit: www.arcelormittal.com

Source: ArcelorMittal