Liberty Steel Delivers Key Milestone for UK Metals

Liberty Steel's Liberty House Group has announced the official restart of a second idle furnace at its Rotherham steel mill in the north of England. The stove, mothballed by Tata Steel, its previous owner, was again lit by the Prince of Wales. The reigniting of the giant furnace is considered a milestone in the revival of the UK steel industry.

Speaking on the occasion, Liberty House Executive Chairman Sanjeev Gupta noted that restarting the kiln after more than two years of downtime is a key moment in the revival of steel production in the UK. The company is very pleased with the presence of the Royal Highness during this momentous event. The event heralds a bright future for the UK steel industry, Gupta said. He added that this is very good news for the entire manufacturing and engineering sector.

Tata Steel ended the production of electric arc furnaces at the Rotherham plant when the steel crisis peaked in 2015. By acquiring a steel mill from Tata Steel, Liberty has pledged to restart its furnaces. Accordingly, the company has invested approximately $ 28 million in expansion at the facility. The first oven has already been restarted. The restart of the second furnace follows five years of engineering work by a dedicated team.

The upgrade helped Liberty Steel triple its scrap smelting capacity at Rotherham. The company is now the largest steelmaker in the UK, capable of processing over 1.2 million tonnes of steel per year. Re-ignition will also help the company move closer to its goal of installing 5 million tonnes of GreenSteel production capacity within five years. In addition, it will also allow the company to double the production of rebar at its neighboring factory.