Liberty House, Gupta Acquire UK’s Last Aluminum Smelter

by Sohrab Darabshaw on DECEMBER 22, 2016

Indian-born metals tycoon Sanjeev Gupta seems to be snapping up metals fast, whether those investments are aluminum, steel or other producers. Gupta’s investments come as competition is shying away from investing in the U.K. steel and other metals businesses.

Gupta recently announced that he would be investing $148 million (around £120 million) in Britain’s last standing aluminum smelter. Gupta’s Liberty House along with his father’s SIMEC business will be paying $371 million (£330 million) to buy assets that include the plant at Lochaber in the western Scottish Highlands and two hydroelectric plants that power it.

UK Aluminum

The plan is to upgrade the equipment and turn it into an aluminum wheel manufacturing facility. Gupta’s Liberty and sister company SIMEC are part of the Gupta Family Group Alliance (GFG) , and, according to a report in the London Telegraph, “the move is part of the parent group’s strategy  to build what it describes as ‘a competitive and sustainable metals and engineering sector’ in the U.K.”

The Scottish government has supported the acquisition and has guaranteed the power purchases of the aluminum smelter for the next 25 years.

Liberty supplies parts to the U.K.’s automobile industry with clients including Jaguar Land Rover. Lochaber, with a capacity of 47,000 metric tons, was put on the block by Rio Tinto under its plan to dispose of its non-core assets.

The deal will immediately safeguard the existing 170 jobs, generate another 300 jobs directly and about 2,000 direct and indirect jobs in the overall supply chain.

This deal marks one of the largest single investments made by the GFG Alliance. It also marks a major step in GFG’s plan to forge a sustainable metals and engineering sector in the U.K. by integrating the supply chain.

Other Acquisitions

Liberty has spent at least $618 million (£500 million) in the past year on acquisitions. In November, it had also signaled its intention to buy some of Tata Steel UK’s specialty steel business.

The Telegraph says the purchase of various steel furnaces is part of Gupta’s larger plan to complete his “green steel” vision, where scrap steel is recycled in the U.K. market.