Moravian-Silesian Region authorities have granted Czech steelmaker Nova Hut approval to build an electric-arc furnace (EAF), a company spokesperson told McCloskey.
The company plans to replace its currently idled blast furnaces (BFs) with an EAF as part of a decarbonization initiative. To learn more about decarbonization projects in Europe and globally, see McCloskey’s Global Green Steel Profile.
“We are one step closer to producing our own steel again in Ostrava. The construction of an electric arc furnace means full control over quality, self-sufficiency in input materials, and a sustainable future for the entire company,” said Radek Strouhal, CEO of Nova Hut.
The project will require further permits as it progresses. The final decision on whether Nova Hut proceeds with the EAF project is expected in October. The company will disclose the exact construction timeline once the final decision is announced.
The EAF will have a capacity of approximately 200 tonnes of steel per heat, Nova Hut said. Earlier this year, the steelmaker unveiled plans to invest in the decarbonization of the Ostrava steel plant, including the construction of an EAF that will have a capacity of up to 1.5 mt/y.
Nova Hut has no plans to resume BF operations and is currently operating rolling mills on imported slab and billet. In August this year, it reached an agreement under which 7 Steel Nordic, an EAF-based producer in Norway, will supply low-CO2 billets to be used as feedstock.
Nova Hut is equipped with hot strip, medium section, and wire rod rolling mills with a total capacity of around 3 mt/y.
In October 2025, a Czech consortium bought the Ostrava plant and rebranded it Nova Hut after Liberty Ostrava, the previous owner, was declared insolvent.
Author: Maria Tanatar
