Commercial Metals Company (CMC) completed the acquisition of a Texas-based metal recycling facility and related assets from Kodiak Resources Inc. and Kodiak Properties. The acquired operation annually processes approximately 55,000 tons of ferrous and nonferrous materials, with the majority of volumes related to obsolete ferrous scrap grades consumed by CMC's long product mills. The transaction is expected to enhance the security and supply of competitively priced inputs to CMC's steelmaking operations.

Primetals Technologies received the final acceptance certificate (FAC) from Gerdau Special Steel North America, a manufacturer of special steel bars, for the modernization of its electric steel plant in Monroe, Mich. The project included modernizing the existing electric-arc furnace (EAF). The electric steel plant was also equipped with a new twin-ladle furnace, a new material-handling system and related auxiliary equipment. The upgrade has increased the plant’s overall annual production capacity of special rolled end products. End-to-end automation and the use of robot systems increase productivity and reliability, optimize workflows in the steelworks and reduce operating costs. The robotic systems also improve worker safety by performing potentially dangerous tasks, such as taking temperatures and samples.

Steel Dynamics Inc. selected Columbus, Miss., as the location for its previously announced recycled aluminum flat-rolled mill. Columbus is strategically located within the targeted Southeast market, bringing numerous competitive customer, recycled-material and renewable-energy advantages to the project. The planned $1.9 billion aluminum flat-rolled mill is designed to have an annual production capacity of 650,000 metric tons of finished products. The product offering will be supported by various value-added finishing lines, including CASH (continuous annealing solutions heat treating) lines, continuous coating, and s slitting and packaging operations. The rolling mill is currently expected to begin operations in mid-2025.

United States Steel Corp. invested in direct-reduced-grade pellet capabilities at its Minnesota Ore Operations Keetac plant. The investment marks a step forward in U.S. Steel’s metallics strategy by supplying the increasingly tight DR-grade pellet market and provides the company with the flexibility to feed a potential future direct reduced iron (DRI) or hot briquetted iron (HBI) facility. DRI and HBI are important electric-arc furnace (EAF) metallics inputs. The $150 million investment expands on the company’s existing competitive advantage in low-cost iron ore. U.S. Steel broke ground on the facility in the third quarter of 2022. The facility is expected to be operational in late 2023, with first pellets produced in 2024.

Gerdau Special Steel North America announced an additional $40.4 million capital investment at its Monroe, Mich., special bar quality (SBQ) mill. This final phase of the project will include upgrades to the rolling mill, including a new bundler table, bundler area and the installation of a third saw. Including these rolling-mill upgrades, Gerdau has invested nearly $400 million over the past decade to transform the Monroe mill into a world-class SBQ production facility. This phased investment plan has involved several projects, including installation of a new continuous caster; a new twin-tank vacuum degasser; a new walking-beam reheat furnace; a new electric-arc furnace (EAF) transformer; EAF control and mechanical upgrades; and a new twin-ladle furnace and material-handling system.

SMS group has been selected to provide a range of technology and equipment for the H2 Green Steel project in Sweden. SMS group will supply process equipment from ironmaking to the finished steel products of the world’s first industrial-scale steel plant based on hydrogen and electricity from renewable sources. The German company will, together with Paul Wurth and its consortium partner Midrex, provide an EAF-based melt shop, a direct reduction plant, a casting and hot-rolling plant, and a cold-rolling and processing complex for the production of a product mix including advanced high-strength steel and automotive steel grades. Leading car manufacturers have already signed agreements with H2 Green Steel for the supply of green, high-quality steel.

ArcelorMittal broke ground on its decarbonization project at the ArcelorMittal Dofasco plant in Hamilton, Ontario. The project, which was first announced in July 2021, is part of the company’s target to reduce the carbon intensity of the steel it produces by 25% by 2030. The $1.3 billion project will fundamentally change the way steel is made at ArcelorMittal Dofasco, transitioning the site to direct-reduced-iron electric-arc furnace (DRI-EAF) steelmaking. This process carries a lower carbon footprint and removes coal from the ironmaking process. The company’s new DRI furnace, which has a capacity of 2.5 million metric tons, will initially operate on natural gas but will be constructed so it can be transitioned to utilize green hydrogen as a clean energy input when a sufficient, cost-effective supply of green hydrogen becomes available. 

Commercial Metals Company (CMC) acquired Advanced Steel Recovery (ASR), a supplier of recycled ferrous metals based in Southern California, as part of its strategic expansion in the western United States. ASR’s primary operations include processing and brokering capabilities that efficiently source material for sale into both the domestic and export markets. ASR handles approximately 300,000 tons of scrap annually across its processing, industrial collection and brokerage platforms.

Primetals Technologies received an order from German steelmaker Salzgitter for an electric-arc furnace (EAF) with a tapping weight of 220 tons. The EAF, which will have an annual capacity of 1.9 million tons of steel, will be installed at the company’s steel plant in Salzgitter. Start-up is scheduled for the end of 2025. The EAF will include dust removal systems, a heat recovery system, a water management system, electrical compensation for grid stabilization and material handling for alloying materials and additives. It will also include Level 1 and 2 automation. The heat recovery system will convert much of the waste heat into steam, which is then fed back and used in other production units, and a condition-monitoring system will identify potential incidents before they occur.

Steel produced by electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmakers in the U.S. has a carbon intensity that is approximately 75% lower than traditional blast furnace steelmakers, according to an independent study of steelmakers worldwide conducted by CRU Group, a global business intelligence firm specializing in metals manufacturing. The study was released by the Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA), the largest steel association in the U.S. representing the EAF steel industry and over 70% of steel made in the U.S.