Liberty Galați steel plant avoids power cut after temporary contract extension

Liberty Galați said it had no electricity supply contract and faced disconnection within days because of unpaid debts. A company representative warned that cutting power would collapse all plant systems and make re-energizing the steel platform extremely difficult, potentially taking up to 50 days.

Galați prefect George Toderaşc told authorities the risk of an energy interruption carried social and even technological dangers. An open letter signed on Thursday by 26 directors, led by general director Aida Nechifor and production director Cornel Moisescu, identified power supply stoppage as a major risk.

“We are on the verge of disconnection, it is a matter of days.”

On Saturday afternoon, Liberty Galați announced a last-minute agreement with energy supplier Electrica Furnizare S.A. to extend the contract temporarily, avoiding disconnection procedures and their major unwanted effects.

Nechifor said the extension provides a respite of several weeks and thanked those who made the last-minute solution possible. The original six-month contract with Electrica, announced in February, had already been extended by one month and could no longer be prolonged.

Electrica said the memorandum of understanding signed on 24 February 2026 remains valid and that it maintains its commitments to cooperation. The memorandum provides for the development of renewable energy production and storage capacities of up to 500 MW on plant-owned land, subject to feasibility studies and necessary approvals.

The company still cannot sustain accumulated financial debts, which complicated negotiations for a further extension. No details about the new agreement were provided.