LIBERTY Galati, the largest steel producer in Romania, has extended its high value-added product portfolio into coated tubular products, following the installation of a new state-of-the-art pipe coating line at its specialized unit LIBERTY Tubular Products Galati. The new line will allow LIBERTY Galati to become the only regional provider of 100% in-house coated pipes from its own plates and highlights its commitment to provide end-to-end solution for its customers across Romania, Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and the Americas.

Following an investment of more than RON 40 million, the new and highly automated pipe coating line is now fully installed and is currently in its completion and production testing phase. It will be operated by a team of 25 specialists. This will give LIBERTY Galati access to a global market worth more than $8 billion, with the market in Europe worth around $1.6 billion and estimated to grow at around 3.5% annually up to 2031[1].

Prasanta Mishra, Executive Director of LIBERTY Galati, said: “In March we restarted our Blast Furnace following a three month care and maintenance programme, during which time we fully paid all our employees and maintained all jobs without seeking any external support. The implementation of the new automated pipe coating line is another important step forward for LIBERTY Galati, as we look to expand our high value-added product portfolio and increase profitability. By implementing these investments, we will be able to coat the pipes using the steel plates produced here at Galați and be able to finish them into premium products for customers in Romania and Europe. This means we will have additional products in our portfolio of high quality, value-added integrated products that will satisfy the market demand. In the meantime, we continue to invest in operational flexibility as well as in the implementation of our GREENSTEEL transformation plans.”

With a capacity of 100,000 tonnes per year, the line provides washing, drying, blasting, inspection, and coating of successive layers of epoxy, adhesive, polyethylene/polypropylene as well as – on request – polypropylene foam. In addition to these coatings on external surface of the pipe, the Pipe Coating Line can also perform coating on the internal surface pipes using epoxy resin. Treated this way, the pipes can be used in transmission lines for oil, natural gas, water or other fluids: they are accredited to ISO 3183 fourth edition 2019-10 and API 5L standards.

LIBERTY Galati already produces a wide range of quality flat products (plates, coils, galvanized sheets & coils, and organic coated products) as well as welded tubular products and supplies steel to customers across Romania and in approximately 30 countries worldwide. The steel products made in Galati are used in shipbuilding, construction, pressure vessels, automotive, transportation, as well as other sectors. LIBERTY Galati products have been used in many of Romania’s major infrastructure projects, including: the new bridge over the Danube in Brăila, which will be the third largest in Europe; the railway bridge connecting the “Henri Coandă” International Airport terminal with the National Road 1; and the bridges over the Mureș River which are part of the A10 Sebeș – Turda motorway. Its steel has also been used on Turkey’s “Osman Gazi” bridge over the Gulf of Izmit and the pedestrian walkway at Koge Nord railway station in Denmark.

[1] Fact.MR Steel Pipe Coatings Market report (Sept 2021) – https://www.factmr.com/report/2106/steel-pipe-coatings-market