Romanian steel producer ArcelorMittal Hunedoara, which suspended production in early September, has announced plans to resume operations on November 1, 2025. The production halt was caused by high electricity costs and increased pressure from low-priced imports within the EU market. While these challenges persist, the company has decided to move forward with the restart despite the difficult conditions.
According to the announcement, the plant will use steel from Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, which is also part of the ArcelorMittal group. This move likely aims to reduce costs, diversify supply sources, and possibly support Ukraine’s economy. However, due to the ongoing war and damaged infrastructure, the long-term reliability of Ukrainian steel remains uncertain. The success of the restart will also depend on market demand and production cost competitiveness.
The steel supplied from Ukraine, in the form of billets or blooms, will be further processed and rolled into long products at the Hunedoara plant. Meanwhile, the restart of the electric steelmaking facility will depend on future developments in electricity and scrap metal prices.
In parallel, the company has suspended its voluntary leave program, indicating that the full workforce will be required to support the restart. This move follows earlier requests for voluntary departure submitted by 10 employees.
As previously reported by Steel Orbis, the plant’s temporary closure began in early September. During this period, Turkish and Dutch buyers expressed an interest in purchasing the plant, but ArcelorMittal made it clear that it had no intention to sell. The planned restart brings renewed optimism for both the plant’s long-term viability and the local market. ArcelorMittal Hunedoara operates an electric arc furnace (EAF) and has an annual production capacity of approximately 400,000 mt of finished rolled products.