• Ministry of Environment approves Environmental Impact Assessment for new hybrid furnaces

• New technology will modernise the plant’s steel-making operations, reducing carbon emissions by more than 50%

LIBERTY Ostrava, part of LIBERTY Steel Group, has received approval from the Ministry of Environment to implement new low carbon technologies and start its journey towards becoming carbon neutral by 2030.

The Ministry has approved the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Ostrava’s ambitious investment plan in the transformation of its steel making operations through the use of two hybrid furnaces, the first of their kind in Europe. The modern hybrid technology, which will replace the existing tandem furnaces by the end of 2022, will have a significantly lower environmental footprint reducing carbon emissions by more than 50% and particulate emissions by 66%.

Pascal Genest, CEO of LIBERTY Ostrava, said: “The modernization of the steel shop is at the core of the planned transformation of LIBERTY Ostrava into a GREENSTEEL champion. Obtaining this positive approval of our EIA is another important milestone on our path to carbon neutrality, which we want to achieve in line with the GFG Alliance’s CN30 commitment. The overall transformation will provide the Ostrava steelworks with greater flexibility and long-term competitiveness as well as improving its sustainability through minimizing our environmental impact.

“A key enabler for this transformation project is the installation of a high voltage power line to support the further electrification of our processes, allowing us to make full use of the hybrid technology potential and produce steel from 100% of scrap when needed. Preparations for the development of the new power line are in full swing and we will work hard to complete it by 2025.”

The modernization of the steel shop consists of the construction of two hybrid furnaces, which will replace the existing four tandem furnaces and have the same annual production capacity of 3.5 million tonnes of steel. The new hybrid steel-making technology will allow the business: to use higher volumes of local steel scrap, reducing its reliance on imported natural resources; to produce significantly lower CO2 emissions; have greater flexibility to respond to changing market situations, by enabling it to switch between or blend Blast Furnace and Electric Arc Furnace produced steel (liquid steel produced from iron ores and coke in the Blast Furnaces and steel from recycled scrap in the Hybrid Furnaces). LIBERTY Ostrava plans to build and commission the new furnaces by the end of 2022.

LIBERTY Steel Group is part of Sanjeev Gupta’s sustainable industry leader GFG Alliance, which plans to invest a total of EUR 750 million in the development of its Ostrava steelworks over the course of ten years. In addition to the modernization of the steel shop the transformation will also include an extensive modernization of the steel rolling mills, which will improve the quality of steel and expand the product portfolio with high added value products.

Further information from:

Note to Editors:

LIBERTY Ostrava is an integrated steel business with an annual production capacity of approximately 3.6 million tonnes per annum serving construction, machinery and oil & gas industries. The company is a domestic leader in the manufacture of road barriers and tubes. In addition to the Czech market, it supplies its products to more than 40 countries around the world. Together with its subsidiaries in Ostrava, the company has 6,000 employees. The company manufactures its products with a minimum possible environmental footprint.

LIBERTY Steel Group is part of GFG Alliance, a collection of global businesses and investments owned by Sanjeev Gupta and his family. The Alliance is structured into three core industrial pillars; LIBERTY Steel Group, ALVANCE Aluminium Group and SIMEC Energy Group, independent of each other yet united through shared values and a purpose to create a sustainable future for industry and society. GFG Alliance employs c.35,000 people, across 10 countries and has revenues of >USD $20bn.

www.libertyostrava.cz

www.libertysteelgroup.com

www.gfgalliance.com

News release .pdf

LIBERTY Ostrava a.s.
Barbora Černá Dvořáková
Head of Communicaions
T +420 595 683 390
M +420 606 774 346
barbora.cerna-dvorakova@libertysteelgroup.com