Following the loan received from the government, Romania-based Liberty Galati plans to restart its blast furnace No. 5 on April 22 after the Easter vacation.
The mill was shut down for maintenance and has remained closed due to poor market conditions since the beginning of summer last year, as SteelOrbis reported previously.
“Together with a strong and dedicated team of steelmakers, we are preparing to restart production operations, which is a real challenge, as the steel industry is facing the most difficult market conditions I have encountered throughout my career, comparable to the 2008 financial crisis and the 2015 steel industry crisis. However, we know how important Romanian steel is for the national economy and for the community in Galați, which is why we are making every effort to ensure the steel needs of Romania's strategic industries. With the support of the team, I am confident that we will restart primary production operations after Easter, on April 22,” said Cornel Moisescu, head of primary at LIBERTY Galați.
Furthermore, according to sources, Liberty Galati has started to collect flat steel orders for May production. However, most purchasers are hesitating to buy because of the uncertainty that has persisted for months.