Nucor awarded Germany’s SMS group a contract for a complete melt shop for its facility to be built in Mason County, W.V. SMS will supply two 190-metric-ton direct-current electric-arc furnaces (DC EAF), two twin-ladle furnaces and two vacuum degassers. The mechanical supply includes several safety-related auxiliaries, the proprietary SMS bottom anode system, two vacuum pumping systems and an equipment layout designed to minimize crane movements. All equipment will be supplied “digital-ready” for incorporation into a data-driven system. The facility will enable Nucor to expand its portfolio in the automotive market. Project completion is scheduled for 2024, with hot commissioning beginning in the second half of 2024.

Nucor announced in September 2021 that its board of directors approved the construction of a new $2.7 billion sheet mill with the capacity to produce 3 million tons of steel annually. The company selected West Virginia as the site of the facility in January 2022. The mill is expected to create approximately 800 manufacturing jobs.