Libyan Iron and Steel Company

What Libyan Iron and Steel Company does

Libyan Iron and Steel Company (LISCO) is a state-owned, vertically integrated iron and steel manufacturer headquartered in Misurata, Libya, occupying a 1,200-hectare industrial complex 210 km east of Tripoli. Founded in 1979 and operational since 1989, the company produces rebar, wire products, light and medium sections, hot- and cold-rolled flat products (including galvanized and painted), Hot Briquetted Iron (HBI), and semi-finished billets, blooms, and slabs, with a design capacity of 1,700,000 tons of liquid steel per year. Its core technology is direct reduction of iron ore using locally sourced natural gas through Midrex/HYL-process plants, supported by integrated steel mills, rolling mills, and finishing facilities.

The company's revenue model is hardware sales of bulk steel products to construction, infrastructure, and manufacturing customers under direct, quote-based B2B arrangements, split between domestic Libyan offtake and exports to regional and international markets (notably Albania). It runs an electronic booking platform for orders, maintains social media presence for corporate communications, and sells through direct local sales offices and its own port facility for export. Customer segments center on construction enterprises with cross-border demand for BS4449-compliant rebar.

LISCO's recent strategic posture is a government-backed modernization and diversification push: a 2024 partnership with Turkey's Sancor for a cooking gas cylinder factory extends the product line beyond steel; a 2025 partnership with Germany's SMS Group targets capacity expansion and quality upgrades; a parallel 2025 agreement with Germany's Pitek Energy targets renewable energy integration; and a UNDP MoU anchors sustainability initiatives. The 2023 milestone of Direct Reduction Plant Unit 3 finally reaching its 650,000-ton HBI design capacity after 26 years marks the operational baseline against which this modernization program is being measured.

Name

Libyan Iron and Steel Company

Legal name

Libyan Iron and Steel Company

Website

https://libyansteel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Libyan Iron and Steel Company (LISCO) is a state-owned, vertically integrated steel producer in Misurata, Libya, using direct reduction technology with local natural gas to manufacture rebar, wire, flat products, and HBI at a design capacity of 1.7 million tons per year for domestic construction and export markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Steel Manufacturing

NAICS

Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing (331110)

akta.pro primary industry

Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) & Hot Briquetted Iron (HBI) Production (IMAKABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) Steelmaking (Incl. DRI/HBI-Based) (IMAKABAB), Steel Products Trading & Service Centers (Flat, Long, Pipe & Tube, Rebar) (IMAKAJAB)

Keywords

• Steel manufacturing
• Direct reduced iron
• Rebar production
• Structural steel products
• Flat rolled steel

Headquarters

HQ city

Misurata

Offices2 records

Markets served

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Steel Products Sales: LISCO generates revenue from manufacturing and selling iron and steel products including reinforcement steel (rebar), Hot Briquetted Iron (HBI), wire products, flat rolled products (hot/cold rolled, galvanized), light and medium sections, and semi-finished products (ingots, blooms, slabs). Revenue comes from both local domestic sales in Libya and export sales to regional and international markets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Libyan Iron and Steel Company (LISCO) is an integrated steel manufacturer that produces direct reduced iron (DRI), hot briquetted iron (HBI), steel billets, blooms, slabs, rebar, wire products, flat rolled products (hot rolled, cold rolled, galvanized), light and medium sections, and structural steel. The company operates one of Africa's largest integrated steel complexes across a 1,200-hectare site in Misurata, with an annual liquid steel capacity of 1,700,000 tons, serving construction, infrastructure, and industrial markets using natural gas-based direct reduction technology.

Product overview

Libyan Iron and Steel Company (LISCO) operates as an integrated steel manufacturing facility using direct reduction technology with natural gas. The company produces a comprehensive portfolio of steel products including hot rolled flat products, cold rolled and coated flat products (galvanized and painted), structural steel sections, bar and rod products (rebar), wire products, and hot briquetted iron (HBI). The product range spans from semi-finished products (billets, blooms, slabs) to finished steel products, complemented by secondary byproducts including slag materials, dust, and fines from various production processes. LISCO's manufacturing capabilities include direct reduction plants, steel mills, rolling mills (both longitudinal and flat), and finishing facilities, all located at its 1,200-hectare facility in Misurata, Libya.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Direct Reduced Iron (DRI)
• Hot Briquetted Iron (HBI)
• Steel Billets and Blooms
• Steel Slabs
• Rebar (Reinforcement Steel)
• Wire Products
• Hot Rolled Flat Products
• Cold Rolled Flat Products
• Galvanized Steel Products
• Light and Medium Structural Sections

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• SMS GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 July 2025Three-day working visit by SMS delegation to discuss cooperation in developing existing factories and creating new facilities meeting international standards. Delegation met with LISCO management and visited production facilities.
• SMS GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 July 2025Partnership agreement signed with German metal manufacturing company SMS Group to increase production capacity, reduce downtime, decrease costs, and improve product quality. SMS played major role in original construction of LISCO facilities four decades ago. Agreement signed by Dr. Mohamed Abdelmalek El-Faqih and Alberto Berganti, Regional Director for Mediterranean and Africa.
• Sancor (Turkish)strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 February 2024Agreement signed for construction of cooking gas cylinder production factory in partnership with Turkish company Sancor. Part of LISCO's diversification strategy.
• Pitek Energy (German)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerMeeting held to explore international cooperation opportunities. German company Pitek Energy discussed renewable energy and sustainable development strategy with LISCO.
• Social Research and Advanced Policy Studies CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExploratory meeting to discuss potential cooperation agreement between LISCO and the research center on social studies and policy research.
• UN Development ProgrammestrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerLISCO signed Memorandum of Understanding with UNDP at Tripoli headquarters for cooperation in sustainable development initiatives.
• Pitek EnergystrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation agreement signed for renewable energy strategy and sustainable development. Agreement signed with Pitek Energy to support LISCO's environmental and sustainability goals.
• FGEminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAssistance company providing operational support for the direct reduction plant units, including unit 3 which achieved design capacity.
• Libyan Quality MarkminorOthersLISCO received the Libyan Quality Mark certification recognizing product quality standards compliance.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hadeed (Saudi Iron & Steel Company): SABIC subsidiary operating integrated DRI and EAF steelmaking in Saudi Arabia, producing rebar, wire rod, and flat products for the domestic market — comparable to LISCO as a state-tied regional steelmaker with similar product mix and gas-based DRI process.
• Erdemir (Ereğli Demir ve Çelik): Turkey's largest integrated steelmaker producing flat and long products. Comparable as a regionally dominant integrated producer competing in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern rebar and flat product markets where LISCO also exports.
• Emirates Steel Arkan: UAE-based integrated DRI and steelmaker producing rebar, heavy sections, and flat rolled products using direct reduction technology — highly comparable to LISCO in process route, product mix, and regional role as a state-aligned industrial champion.
• Qatar Steel: Qatari integrated DRI-based steel producer supplying rebar, wire rod, and HBI to domestic and export markets. Closely comparable in technology stack (gas-based DRI), product mix, and state-owned backing serving regional construction demand.
• Egyptian Steel: Egyptian EAF/DRI steelmaker producing rebar and billet for construction. Comparable in scale and in serving North African/Mediterranean construction demand with state-aligned industrial ambition similar to LISCO.
• Ezz Steel: Egypt's largest integrated steel producer (EAF-based using DRI feedstock), manufacturing rebar, wire rod, and flat rolled products primarily for the construction sector. Direct regional competitor to LISCO across North Africa and the Mediterranean.

Broad incumbents

• Voestalpine: Austrian integrated steel and technology group producing high-quality flat steel. Comparable as an integrated European player exporting to Mediterranean/MENA markets, with engineering capability relevant given LISCO's SMS Group/Fost Alpine partnership activity.
• Nucor Corporation: Largest U.S. steelmaker and the global benchmark for EAF/DRI-based mini-mill steelmaking. Comparable in operating model (DRI-EAF, sheet and long products, capital-intensive) but operates at much larger scale and across many geographies.
• ArcelorMittal: World's largest steelmaker with integrated and EAF operations producing flat and long products globally. Comparable in product breadth and integrated value chain, though LISCO operates only at the regional scale ArcelorMittal covers globally.
• Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL): Indian state-owned integrated steel producer with blast furnace and DRI routes producing long and flat products. Comparable as a state-owned, integrated, large-scale domestic champion — relevant benchmark for governance and capital allocation dynamics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LibyanSteel
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCGmxwQagHpmEXx_9u0nuXCg
• Facebookfacebook.com/libyansteel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/lisco-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B5%D9%84%D8%A8-2782502a2

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Libyan Iron and Steel Company