Liberty Galati

Gigantic metallurgical combine in the north-east end of Romania was built during the 60´s of last century and belongs among the largest iron and steel production sites in Europe today.

A noticeable dominant in mostly flat and agricultural landscape is created by line of six blast furnaces, two separate coke plants, three converter steel mills and four rolling mills.

SIDEX, as initially called, accounted for over 50 per cent of the country´s steel production.

In 2001 SIDEX was privatized and bought by current owner ArcelorMittal company. Due to european steel crisis the production horizon was distinctively tighten.

Today, only one blast furnace (no.5) together with no.3 in stand-by mode, one converter steel shop and rolling mills are active.
Blast furnace no.6 which surpass among the others with its contruction was finished in 1977. However the pig iron production didn´t last long. In 1994 massive explosion and subsequent blast furnace shell disruption happened. Since that time the furnace is put aside and waiting for the demolition.

From former three steel shops only single one is active today with its three converters. The main products are high-quality plates, hot and cold rolled sheets, galvanised sheets, large diameter longitudinally welded pipes and blooms as billets.

Historically last coke was in Galati extinguished in April 2009 due to the world financial crisis. With this shut down the whole romanian coking industry went to it´s end.

In 2019 the Liberty Group took over all steel making operations in Galati and investing into its green future.

Keywords: arcelormittal galati, rumunsko, romania, sidex, steelworks, steel plant, stahlwerk, hochofenwerk, huttenwerk, blast furnace, ironworks, železárny, vysoká pec, industriální architektura, industrial architecture, industriekultur fotografie, 2011

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