Liberty Steel Dunaferr Dunaújváros steel plant

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Liberty Steel Dunaferr Dunaújváros steel plant (Dunai Vasmű, Dunaferr Nagyolvasztó és Konverteres Acélgyártómű), also known as ISD Dunaferr (predecessor), Danube Ironworks (predecessor), is a steel plant in Dunaújváros, Fejér, Hungary that operates electric arc furnace (EAF), basic oxygen furnace (BOF), and blast furnace (BF) technology.

Location

The map below shows the exact location of the plant in Dunaújváros, Fejér, Hungary:

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  • Location: 2400 Dunaújváros, Vasmű tér 1-3, Hungary
  • Coordinates (WGS 84): 46.945694, 18.93863 (exact)

Background

ISD Dunaferr steel was the largest Hungarian steel plant, and as of 2020 employed upwards of 4,500 workers.[1] The plant had two blast furnaces with a combined capacity of 1.2 mtpa of pig iron, and two 135-ton basic oxygen furnaces with a total crude steel production capacity of 1.6 mtpa.[2]

Beginning in 2019, ISD Dunaferr stopped operating profitably.[3] Production began to dip in 2020 due to mismanagement and a dispute between the owners.[1] Cost-cutting followed, which provoked union protests and the suspension of several union leaders in December 2020.[4]

In 2022, resulting from problems securing raw coke from its Austrian supplier, the plant shut down both blast furnaces.[5] It was later revealed that the plant and its Russian owners had avoided paying hundreds of millions of euros in EU carbon payments and fines as part of a deal between Vladimir Putin and Viktor Orban.[6] In December 2022, Hungarian courts put the plant into liquidation. The plant restarted blast furnace No. 2 in February 2023.[2]

In July 2023, Indian steelmaker Liberty Steel Group acquired the Dunaferr plant for €55 million.[2] It also received €100 million in credit from the government to continue its operation.[7] However, the company continued to accumulate massive debts, and in August 2023 again shut the last blast furnace.[3] Despite an announcement by Liberty Steel, a Chinese engineering firm, and the Hungarian Ministry of Economic Development that the plant would shift from blast furnace to Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) technology, the plant was again put into liquidation by the courts in 2024.[8][3]

The last coke production at the site ceased in June 2024.[9] After months of delayed wages paid by the Hungarian government, in June 2025 some 2,500 workers were fired in the span of a week.[10][11] Further attempts to sell parts of the plant to other companies with the potential to restart production were unsuccessful, and in October 2025 courts ordered the end of that process, signaling the disappearance of any chance of production restarting.[12]

Ownership Tree

This ownership tree is part of the Global Energy Ownership Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.

Plant Details

Table 1: General Plant Details

Start date Idled date Retired date Workforce size
1954[13] 2024-06-10[14][15] 2025-10-13[16][17] 4500[18][19]

Table 2: Ownership and Parent Company Information

Parent company Parent company PermID Parent GEM entity ID Owner Owner company PermID Owner GEM entity ID
LIBERTY Steel Group UK Holdings Ltd [100.0%] 5083750325 [100.0%] E100001010332 [100.0%] LIBERTY Steel Group UK Holdings Ltd [100%][20] 5083750325 E100001010332 [100%]

Table 3: Process and Products

Steel product category Steel products ISO 14001 ISO 50001 Responsible steel Main production equipment
semi-finished, finished rolled[21] profile, cold rolled, coated, hot rolled[21] unknown[22] unknown[22] unknown BF; EAF; BOF

Table 4: Plant-level Crude Steel Production Capacities (thousand tonnes per annum)

1Please see our Frequently Asked Questions page for an explanation of the different capacity operating statuses.
Capacity operating status1 Basic oxygen furnace steelmaking capacity Electric arc furnace steelmaking capacity Nominal crude steel capacity (total)
cancelled – 3000[23] 3000[23]
retired 1600[24] – 1600[24]

Table 5: Plant-level Crude Iron Production Capacities (thousand tonnes per annum)

1Please see our Frequently Asked Questions page for an explanation of the different capacity operating statuses.
Capacity operating status1 Blast furnace capacity Nominal iron capacity (total)
retired 1300[25][26] 1300[25][26]

Table 6: Upstream Products Production Capacities (thousand tonnes per annum)

Sinter Coke Pellets
1000[27] 0[28] NF

Table 7: Actual Plant-level Crude Steel Production by Year (thousand tonnes per annum)

Year BOF production Other/unknown steel production
2019 unknown unknown
2020 unknown unknown
2021 unknown unknown
2022 unknown unknown

Table 8: Actual Plant-level Crude Iron Production by Year (thousand tonnes per annum)

Year BF production Other/unknown iron production
2019 unknown unknown
2020 unknown unknown
2021 unknown unknown
2022 unknown unknown

Unit Details

Table 9: Blast Furnace Details

Unit name Status Start date Retired date Furnace manufacturer and model Current size Current capacity (ttpa) Decarbonization technology Most recent relining
BF 1 retired[29][30] 1954[26] 2022-09[29] Siemens-Martin[31] 960.0 m3[31] 640[26] unknown –
BF 2 retired[32][33][34][16] 1957[26] 2024-06-10[15][34] Siemens-Martin[31] 1033.0 m3[31] 660[25] unknown 2016-08[35]

Table 10: Electric Arc Furnace Details

Unit name Status Announced date Start date Furnace manufacturer and model Current capacity (ttpa) Current size (tonnes)
unknown EAF (1) cancelled[34][16] 2023-09-20 2030[34] CISDI[34] 1500[23] 150.0[36][34]
unknown EAF (2) cancelled[23][16] 2024-08[23] 2030[34] CISDI[34] 1500[23] 150.0[34][36]

Table 11: Electric Arc Furnace Feedstock Details

Unit name Scrap-based % scrap % DRI % HBI % sponge iron (unknown if DRI or HBI) % basic/merchant pig iron % granulated pig iron % pig iron (unknown if basic/merchant or granulated) % other iron
unknown EAF (1) yes[37] >0[37] >0[37] 0[37] 0[37] 0[37] 0[37] 0[37] 0[37]
unknown EAF (2) yes[37] >0[37] >0[37] 0[37] 0[37] 0[37] 0[37] 0[37] –

Table 12: Basic Oxygen Furnace Details

Unit name Status Retired date Current capacity (ttpa) Current size
unknown BOF (1) retired[38][34][16] 2024-06-10[15][34] 800[24] 135.0 tonnes[27][39]
unknown BOF (2) retired[38][34][16] 2024-06-10[15][34] 800[24] 135.0 tonnes[27][39]

Articles and Resources

Additional data

To access additional data, including an interactive map of steel plants, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Iron and Steel Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Unacceptable dismissals of trade union leaders at ISD Dunaferr in Hungary". industriAll Europe. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Liberty Steel Wins Dunaferr Acquisition Bid | OilPrice.com". OilPrice.com. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Russian-Owned Hungarian Plant Avoided €655 Million in Carbon Payments and Fines - OPIS, A Dow Jones Company". OPIS, A Dow Jones Company. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
  4. ↑ "Unacceptable dismissals of trade union leaders at ISD Dunaferr in Hungary". IndustriAll. 17 December, 2020. Retrieved 11 October, 2023. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |access-date= and |date= (help)
  5. ↑ "Hungarian steel plant stops production". www.euractiv.com. 2022-09-19. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  6. ↑ "Russian-Owned Hungarian Plant Avoided €655 Million in Carbon Payments and Fines - OPIS, A Dow Jones Company". OPIS, A Dow Jones Company. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
  7. ↑ "Két acélműre is elég lett volna a pénz, amit elégettek a Dunaferr-manőverben | 24.hu". 24.hu. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
  8. ↑ "LIBERTY and CISDI to collaborate with the Hungarian Ministry of Economic Development on the decarbonisation of Dunaferr". Liberty Steel Group. 20 September, 2023. Retrieved 11 October, 2023. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |access-date= and |date= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ↑ "Hungary's Liberty Dunaújváros to halt coke production, efforts for green transition continue". www.steelorbis.com. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
  10. ↑ "Két acélműre is elég lett volna a pénz, amit elégettek a Dunaferr-manőverben | 24.hu". 24.hu. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
  11. ↑ "Index - Belföld - A múlt heti tömeges elbocsátások után újabb 800 embernek mondtak fel a Dunai Vasműben". index.hu. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
  12. ↑ "Vége a Dunaferr-sztorinak". nepszava.hu. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
  13. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20240123000739/https://libertysteelgroup.com/hu/. Archived from the original on 2024-01-23. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  14. ↑ https://www.intellinews.com/hungary-s-largest-steelworks-on-verge-of-collapse-346281/. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 https://www.steelorbis.com/steel-news/latest-news/hungarys-liberty-dunajvaros-to-halt-coke-production-efforts-for-green-transition-continue-1344227.htm. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 https://nepszava.hu/3297702_dunaferr-fovarosi-torvenyszek-ertekesitesi-eljaras-vegzes. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  17. ↑ https://index.hu/belfold/2025/07/02/dunaferr-dunai-vasmu-leepites-felmondas-dunaujvaros/. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  18. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20220205145501/https://news.industriall-europe.eu/Article/539. Archived from the original on 2022-02-05. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  19. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20221030234918/https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/short_news/hungarian-steel-plant-stops-production/. Archived from the original on 2022-10-30. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  20. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20240913183035/https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Liberty-Steel-Wins-Dunaferr-Acquisition-Bid.html. Archived from the original on 2024-09-13. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20240123001222/https://libertysteelgroup.com/hu/products/?lang=en. Archived from the original on 2024-01-23. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20220320170405/http://dunaferr.hu/en/integrated-management-system. Archived from the original on 2022-03-20. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 23.4 23.5 "Liberty to install two EAFs in transformation of Dunaujvaros mill in Hungary - EUROMETAL". 2024-08-06. Archived from the original on 2025-01-14. Retrieved 2025-01-13.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 https://web.archive.org/web/20240123003605/https://gmk.center/en/posts/isd-dunaferr-who-will-invest-in-the-hungarian-steel-industry/. Archived from the original on 2024-01-23. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 https://web.archive.org/web/20240123002820/https://eurometal.net/2023/08/10/. Archived from the original on 2024-01-23. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 26.4 https://web.archive.org/web/20211203101858/http://dunaferr.hu/nyersvasgyartas. Archived from the original on 2021-12-03. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 https://web.archive.org/web/20220319042908/http://dunaferr.hu/en/hot-metal-production. Archived from the original on 2022-03-19. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  28. ↑ "A LIBERTY Dunaújváros bezárja kokszoló kemencéit". LIBERTY Steel Hungary. 2024-06-10. Archived from the original on 2025-01-14. Retrieved 2025-01-13.
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20230209162459/https://gmk.center/en/news/one-of-dunaferrs-blast-furnaces-is-beyond-repair-argusmedia/. Archived from the original on 2023-02-09. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  30. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20240123000000/https://gmk.center/en/news/liberty-steel-to-stop-production-at-dunaferr-for-three-months/. Archived from the original on 2024-01-23. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 31.2 31.3 https://www.viktormacha.com/vyhledavani/isd-dunaferr-4339.html. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  32. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20240209185933/https://gmk.center/en/news/liberty-restarts-part-of-the-rolling-capacity-of-hungarian-dunaferr/. Archived from the original on 2024-02-09. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  33. ↑ https://gmk.center/en/news/conflict-between-liberty-steel-and-the-hungarian-government-escalates-due-to-dunaferr-downtime/. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  34. ↑ 34.00 34.01 34.02 34.03 34.04 34.05 34.06 34.07 34.08 34.09 34.10 34.11 34.12 https://web.archive.org/web/20240119030413/https://libertysteelgroup.com/liberty-and-cisdi-to-collaborate-with-the-hungarian-ministry-of-economic-development-on-the-decarbonisation-of-dunaferr/. Archived from the original on 2024-01-19. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  35. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20241007155907/https://www.kallanish.com/en/news/steel/market-reports/article-details/dunaferr-restarts-revamped-bf-0816/. Archived from the original on 2024-10-07. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20240906182908/https://www.seaisi.org/details/23564?type=news-rooms. Archived from the original on 2024-09-06. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  37. ↑ 37.00 37.01 37.02 37.03 37.04 37.05 37.06 37.07 37.08 37.09 37.10 37.11 37.12 37.13 37.14 37.15 37.16 https://www.steelorbis.com/steel-news/latest-news/cisdi-receives-financial-backing-for-eaf-investment-at-liberty-dunajvaros-1351831.htm. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20260113224725/https://gmk.center/en/posts/liberty-steel-from-great-promise-to-the-fall-of-an-empire/. Archived from the original on 2026-01-13. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20211207084539/http://dunaferr.hu/acelgyartas. Archived from the original on 2021-12-07. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)

Resources

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