This two-phase selection process is expected to be concluded by the end of May. As part of the sale, potential buyers will have the option to purchase either the entire plant or just the coke plant.
The application period began on February 12 and will continue until April 7. Interested parties will need to formally express their interest, sign a confidentiality agreement, and submit the required collateral. Peták explained that after the application stage, participants will be granted access to a Virtual Data Room to review all relevant commercial and technical details regarding Liberty Ostrava.
Tender Process and Timeline From March 1 to 17, those taking part in the tender will have the opportunity to visit the plant and meet with management. Participants are required to submit their binding bids by April 23 at the latest. The bankruptcy administration will notify applicants of the initial round results by April 25. A maximum of three participants who pass the first round will proceed to the second round, where they can bid for a price increase.
Peták highlighted that during this phase, investors will once again have the choice to bid on the entire facility, including the coke plant, or just the main production site. It was previously mentioned that the closed coke plant could negatively impact the sale price of the main facility due to environmental concerns. The second phase is anticipated to begin within three weeks of announcing the first round’s results, with the final decision expected shortly afterward.
Peták stated, “Our goal is to identify the winning bidder by the end of May,” adding that the evaluation process by the competition authority due to the company’s size could delay the timeline. “Given the potential challenges, I believe it’s realistic to expect the sale to be finalized by the end of the year.”
Current Status of Liberty Ostrava Located in the Silesia region, Liberty Ostrava has been under the ownership of Sanjeev Gupta’s Liberty Steel Group, part of the GFG Alliance, since 2019. The company produced steel for sectors such as construction, engineering, and petrochemicals but went bankrupt due to increasing debts.
Over 900 creditors have filed claims totaling 23.23 billion Czech crowns, with the bankruptcy administrator having approved claims amounting to approximately 7.4 billion crowns so far.
The operations of the three Liberty Ostrava plants are currently funded by various companies. The steel mill, which employed about 6,000 workers a year ago, now has only 2,400 employees.
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