Liberty Steel has launched a public tender process for the replacement of its four existing tandem furnaces with two new hybrid furnaces at its Ostrava steelworks in the Czech Republic, according to a company press release on November 10.
The modern hybrid technology is expected to have a significantly lower environmental footprint, reduce particulate emissions by 60pc by 2023 due to the addition of a new dedusting plant.
Once a 400kV electricity line is installed by 2025, carbon emissions are also then expected to reduce by half as the hybrid furnaces will be able to consume 70pc scrap in the charge.
Liberty anticipates “full carbon neutrality” will be achieved once the plant has transitioned to using 100pc scrap and/or captures and recycles the carbon dioxide from its primary units.
The company also plans to offset the residual carbon produced through the GFG Alliance’s peat restoration project at JAHAMA Highland Estates in Scotland.
The new hybrid technology will enable Ostrava to use larger volumes of locally abundant ferrous scrap, reducing its reliance on hot metal and thereby reducing CO2 emissions.
According to Liberty Steel, the company plans to invest €750mn in the development of its Ostrava steelworks and “extensive” modernization of its rolling mills over the course of the next 10 years.
Liberty Ostrava is an integrated steel works with an annual crude steel production capacity of approximately 3.6mn mt.
The plant has the ability to produce a wide range of long products (bars, beams, rods, special profiles), some flat products and castings.