• LIBERTY Steel Group restarts the Huta Częstochowa electric arc furnace
• Significant next step in LIBERTY’s plan to revitalise the plant

LIBERTY Steel Group, part of Sanjeev Gupta’s sustainable industry leader GFG Alliance, today announces that it has restarted the Huta Częstochowa electric arc furnace (EAF) in another significant step in LIBERTY’s ambitious plans to revitalise the plant.

The Huta’s EAF has been idled since October 2020 and to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the restart the plant’s team have ensured each step has been carefully managed. The first melt was done more slowly than normal before the steel produced was processed through the Ladle Furnace and Caster to produce slabs (flat, rectangular semi-finished steel products).

LIBERTY took over the lease on Huta Częstochowa at the end of December and restarted the plant’s rolling mills last week using steel from LIBERTY Ostrava in the Czech Republic. The plant has also benefited from LIBERTY’s European presence and procurement capability to secure the scrap and other material required for the restart of its EAF operation.

Commenting on the news, Paramjit Kahlon, Chief Executive Officer, Primary Steel and Integrated Mining, LIBERTY Steel Group, said: “I am very pleased that we have worked effectively to restart the Huta’s EAF so quickly, using a mix of LIBERTY resources and knowhow and the local team’s commitment to revitalise their business. We look forward to further positive developments over the next few months.”