Poland’s defence ministry has finally acquired plate maker Huta Czestochowa and is eyeing obtaining armour plate certification in January, Kallanish notes.
The ministry has been working on the takeover since state-owned Weglokoks acquired the then insolvent former Liberty-owned plate mill in November 2024 on a leasing basis. The rolling mill and a few weeks later the electric arc furnace were restarted in January after considerable idle time.
The signing ceremony on Monday also saw the signing of a letter of intent between the Polish Armaments Group, Huta Czestochowa and Wegkoloks with a view to leveraging the Czestochowa mill’s capabilities to supply the defence industry.
The plate mill assets will be assigned to Poland’s Military Property Agency.
“We have an important task ahead of us – to develop Huta Czestochowa into the best steelworks in Poland, to build great potential. I would like to thank the management and employees for what you have accomplished over the past several months. You have launched new production capacity, found contractors, and contracts for next year are largely secured,” notes Polish defence minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz.
The acquisition is a “historic” moment for the security of Polish industry, he adds.
Although Polish industry leaders have said repeatedly they are against nationalising the country’s steel industry, the current geopolitical climate has laid bare the importance of defence and indigenous steel production, especially in Poland, a country in close proximity to the war in Ukraine and with a history of suffering caused by its neighbours.
Huta Czestochowa said it plans to produce 300,000 tonnes of crude steel in 2025 and grow this to 500,000t in 2026 (see Kallanish passim). The firm’s EAF has a 700,000 t/year crude steel capacity, while the plate mill is 1.2 million t/y design capacity.
