Liberty Galati restarts blast furnace No. 5

The Romanian steel plant Liberty Galati, a subsidiary of the global steel producer Liberty Steel, announced the restart of blast furnace No. 5 after a shutdown in May. The resumption of the unit is planned to begin in the coming days. This was discussed at a meeting of Liberty Steel CEO Sanjeev Gupta and Deputy Prime Minister of Romania Mariana Neatsu, the company’s press service reports.

During the meeting, the parties discussed plans to restart the plant in Galati to meet the demand from the local infrastructure and shipbuilding industry, as well as Liberty’s plans to invest in the decarbonization of existing facilities.

The company asked the government for support regarding the distribution of CO2 certificates and existing incentives for energy-intensive consumers. The Deputy Prime Minister stressed the importance of continuing green investments in the enterprise, and noted that the government will cooperate with the company to restart the blast furnace.

The recovery of the unit is facilitated by a significant recovery in demand for thick sheet rolled products and coated rolled products.

«The last 12 months have been extremely difficult for the steel industry in Europe, but we are encouraged by the support we have received from the Romanian government. We are grateful for our cooperation in overcoming these challenges and understanding the important role that Liberty Galati plays in the production of metal products for critical infrastructure, as well as in providing high-quality employment for thousands of people, «comments Ajay Aggarwal, Chairman of the Board of Liberty Galati.

As GMK Center reported earlier, that at the end of May this year, Liberty Steel suspended the operation of its only blast furnace operating in Europe at a plant in Galati (Romania) due to difficult market conditions. It was decided to introduce a temporary period of hot downtime and continue the operation of rolling mills, using slab reserves to ensure profitable and stable production in Galati.

  • Industry

The steel industry is concerned about the slow progress of green steel projects

The steel industry is concerned about the slow progress being made in the field of…

Friday June 19, 2026
  • Global Market

Construction in the EU rose by 0.8% m/m in April

In April 2026, seasonally adjusted output in the EU’s construction sector rose by 0.8% compared…

Friday June 19, 2026
  • Global Market

POSCO is launching South Korea’s largest electric arc furnace

POSCO has completed construction of South Korea’s largest electric arc furnace (EAF) at its steelworks…

Friday June 19, 2026
  • Global Market

US steelmakers are calling for clearer smelting and casting rules under the USMCA

Amid negotiations to revise the USMCA, the US steel sector is calling for stricter smelting…

Friday June 19, 2026
  • Global Market

Kazakhstan increased steel production by 7.5% m/m in May

In May 2026, Kazakhstan increased its steel production by 7.5% month-on-month and by 6.2% year-on-year,…

Friday June 19, 2026
  • Global Market

Voestalpine is expanding its environmental modernisation programme at its plant in Donawitz

The Austrian steel and technology group voestalpine has unveiled plans for the next phase of…

Friday June 19, 2026