Posted on 29 Apr 2025
Liberty Steel’s Liège facility in Belgium has been declared bankrupt and already attracted attention from multiple potential buyers, sources familiar with the situation tell Kallanish.
These include NLMK and ArcelorMittal, according to sources, while Tosyali, rumoured to be among the interested parties for Liberty’s Dudelange unit in Luxembourg, may also be in the running.
Neither Liberty, NLMK nor ArcelorMittal provided comment before deadline on Thursday.
The Liège facility was officially declared bankrupt on 22 April by the Liège enterprise tribunal, known as the “Tribunal de l'entreprise de Liège.” Dudelange and Liège have not engaged in any production for over two years. A union source indicates the Walloon region has declined to provide additional funding to the company, and two receivers have been appointed to oversee the sale process.
Liberty plans to divest its operations in Magona, Italy, as well as its facilities located in Liege and Dudelange. The Magona re-rolling facility in Piombino is currently at risk of bankruptcy, as attempts to find a buyer have not been successful (see Kallanish passim). This comes despite reports of interest from several companies.
Unlike Dudelange and Liège, Magona has successfully sustained its production levels and continued operations in recent months. Capacity utilisation is currently varying between 40% and 50%, dependent on the supply availability of coils.
Meanwhile, another union source confirmed recently that the sale of Liberty Steel Dudelange is still on hold and there have been no updates for the workforce on the sale process; however, the prospective buyer has assured the retention of all 140 employees.
In February, the receiver informed trade unions that a decision had been made regarding the buyer for the plant, which is speculated to be Tosyali (see Kallanish passim). The source indicated there is currently no specified date for the conclusion of the Dudelange sale.
The combined rolling capacity of the three Liberty facilities exceeds 2.5 million tonnes/year.
Source:Kallanish
