Virginia Tech students visit LIBERTY Ostrava

LIBERTY Ostrava recently welcomed a group of students from the American university Virginia Tech. Their visit to the country’s biggest steelmaker was part of their four-week European programme of Sustainability Policy-Making & Planning in Europe. The team in Ostrava gave them a general overview of the company with a special focus on environmental protection showing them how the company reduced its environmental footprint over the years or how it meets emission limit set by legislature. They also learned about the GREENSTEEL transformation of the mill, as well as the LIBERTY Steel Group’s ambition to become carbon neutral by 2030. One of the most exciting things for them was a tour of the mill when they could see firsthand the steelmaking process at caster No. 2 and the production of coils at the hot strip mill.

Their many questions and reactions show that they truly enjoyed the visit. For many of them, it was their first experience ever with a steel mill. 

“Environmental policies and regulations play a pivotal role in protecting the health of steel workers and the public. I look forward to using what I learned about the benefits and challenges of sustainability to from this visit to promote more social, environmental, and economic development in the U.S. and at Virginia Tech.”

Gia Ha, graduate student at Virginia Tech

The most intriguing part to me was how intricate each machine is, and how the whole mill coexists as a whole. Each part, machine, room, and worker collaborates to produce phenomenal end products which go all over the world.

“Ostrava has a magnificent history of being one of the hearts of industrialization in Czechia. Being able to watch-even participate-in these processes has imprinted on me significantly. I have much deeper respect, understanding, and appreciation for Ostrava and the services it provides for not just the country, but Europe and the world around it.”

Jillian Krinsky; studying Environmental Policy and Planning at Virginia Tech