The Libyan Iron and Steel Company (Lisco) is one of the largest iron and steelmaking companies operating in North Africa. Based in Misrata, it is subsidized and owned by the Libyan government. Lisco's foundation stone was officially laid on 18 September 1979. In 2004, the online magazine Arab Steel ranked Lisco third among the largest Arab iron and steel companies.[1]
Overview
Lisco is among the largest companies in Libya, having an annual production capacity of approximately 1,324,000 tons of liquid steel.[2] Lisco's operations are primarily supplied by imported iron ore pellets from Brazil, Canada, and Sweden for use as raw materials.[3] Natural gas is used to manufacture sponge iron and hot briquetted iron via the Midrex process. Hot-briquetted iron (HBI) became a significant Libyan mineral export since the LISCO II plant began producing it in 1997. About 54% of Lisco's exports (by weight) in 2000 was HBI.