BlueScope, an Australian steel producer, has approved the expansion of its North Star facility in Delta, Ohio. The company will add an additional 850,000 metric tons per year of steelmaking capacity. The $700 million project is expected to begin in mid-2022 with full ramp-up scheduled for approximately 18 months later. In addition, the expansion has potential future growth of a further 500,000 metric tons per year. According to BlueScope, the expansion offers long-term sustainable earnings growth from a high-quality asset.

Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI selected Sinton, Texas, as the site for its state-of-the-art, electric-arc-furnace (EAF) flat-roll steel mill. The planned facility is expected to have an annual production capacity of approximately 3 million tons, with the capability to produce the latest generation of advanced high-strength steel grades. The project will include value-added finishing lines, including a galvanizing line with an annual capacity of 550,000 tons. SDI, which will invest approximately $1.9 billion in the project, expects to begin construction in early 2020. The company expects to create approximately 600 well-paying jobs.

Commercial Metals Company opened a 63,000-square-foot addition to its facility in Mesa, Ariz. The expansion will allow the company to produce hot-rolled, spooled steel rebar from mostly recycled scrap metal. The electric-arc furnace (EAF) micro-mill, which opened in 2009, uses a continuous technology and is the first of its type to be successfully operated in the U.S., according to CMC. More than 450,000 tons of scrap metal are recycled each year into steel bar products at CMC Steel Arizona for use in construction and fabrication. The facility produces straight and spooled rebar in a range of sizes and lengths. 

HarbisonWalker International (HWI) is investing to increase capacity by 25% at key steel refractory facilities. Most of the investment will be at its facility in White Cloud, Mich., which manufactures refractory products primarily for steelmakers. According to the company, approximately half of its capital investment dollars will have a direct positive impact on its steel industry customers. The investment will include expansion to accommodate new warehouse and shipping space, which is being constructed with American-made steel. Additional manufacturing space will house new technologies that improve production efficiency and worker safety.

Primetals Technologies received an order from Chinese steelmaker Wuzhou Yongda Special Steel Co. to supply an electric-arc furnace (EAF) and a ladle furnace for a greenfield project. The EAF is designed to handle scrap steel of varied composition and quality. The electrical energy requirement of the EAF is extremely low because the scrap is preheated. This reduces both the operating costs and CO₂ emissions. The furnaces are scheduled to be commissioned in early 2020. Primetals Technologies will also supply the complete mechanical and electrical process equipment and the automation technology.

Tenova and Salzgitter AG signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on SALCOS (Salzgitter low-CO₂ steelmaking). SALCOS is a concept for a significantly CO₂-reduced steel production. The aim is to undergo a transformation process of the integrated steelmaking route, moving from carbon-intensive steel production based on blast furnaces toward a direct reduction and electric-arc furnace route, including the flexible incremental utilization of hydrogen. This concept is capable of reducing CO₂ emissions up to 95% with respect to the entire steel production route.

Big River Steel (BRS) commissioned SMS group with the expansion of its steel plant in Osceola, Ark. SMS group will supply BRS with mechanical equipment and electrical and automation systems. The expansion will increase the plant’s annual output to approximately 3 million tons of steel. After completion, the facility will have two electric-arc furnaces (EAFs) and two twin-ladle furnaces. Installation of an additional gas cleaning system will ensure compliance with environmental regulations.

Danieli will build a new steel plant in Morocco that will produce 800,000 tons per year of billets measuring 5 x 5 inches (130 x 130 mm) to 7.9 x 7.9 inches (200 x 200 mm). The melt shop will include a 100-ton electric-arc furnace (EAF) with the most advanced technological packages: an off-gas laser system, electrode regulation system and an automatic EAF de-slagging door. Danieli Automation will supply a Level 2 process-control system. Plant start-up is scheduled for mid-2020.

U.S. Steel announced the restart of construction on a technologically advanced electric-arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking facility at its Tubular Operations in Fairfield, Ala. The company previously initiated construction of the EAF in March 2015 and suspended construction in December 2015 due to unfavorable market conditions. The project is expected to create approximately 150 full-time jobs.

JSW USA has officially restarted its facility in Mingo Junction, Ohio. After being idle for 3,545 days, it is now a melt and manufacture mill. The reopening of the mill is expected to create 1,000 jobs. The first slab on its electric-arc furnace (EAF) was cast on Dec. 14. Now that the facility will be melting its own steel, JSW USA will be more cost effective and ensure the highest quality for customers. The company is already in the design process to install another EAF at Mingo Junction.