Metinvest has confirmed its preliminary interest in Liberty Galati, a Romanian metallurgical plant with a capacity of 3 million tons per year.
The Ukrainian mining and steel company confirmed to Platts, a member of S&P Global Commodity Insights, that it is exploring the feasibility of such an acquisition and potential synergies with its business, but added that it has not yet submitted an application.
Considering that the total debt of the Romanian state of Liberty Galati is about 400 million euros, in mid-September the government established a Committee to protect state interests at the Galati steel mill, according to its website.
The Committee is investigating the issue of a loan provided to the manufacturer to restart its blast furnace No. 5, which was put into operation earlier this year, but only for a short period. He also assessed the intentions of potential investors interested in acquiring or supporting the production activities of the steel asset.
These companies or individuals were not identified, but local media mentioned Dorinel Umbrarescu, owner of the Romanian UMB construction group, as another candidate.
The state is interested in maintaining the functioning of the domestic metallurgical industry, since Romania's entire construction sector is heavily dependent on metal production, and also because Romania will have additional gas production starting in 2027, and therefore it would be illogical not to produce key metal components domestically, Prime Minister Ilie Boloyan said. He said this during his press conference last month.
.In September, the plant's administration notified the unions that technical unemployment would remain until October, and there were few prospects for resuming production, according to the Romanian government's website.
Liberty Galati's restructuring plan, approved by creditors and confirmed by the Galati Court in August 2025, is designed to help the steel mill avoid bankruptcy and involves securing financing and cooperation with potential investors.
Author Katya Bukli
