Steel Mills
Bedrock Eyes Purchase of Quebec Iron Ore Pellet Plant
Written by Sandy Williams
February 18, 2019
The United Steelworkers and Bedrock Industries announced they will begin negotiations for a new collective agreement for workers at the Pointe-Noire iron pellet plant in Quebec. Bedrock Industries notified the USW of its intention to purchase and restart the facility.
The pellet plant, formerly owned by Cliffs Natural Resources, closed in 2013 and is currently owned by SFP Pointe-Noire and under protection by the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act.
“Bedrock Industries has informed us of its intention to relaunch the plant and its desire to negotiate a collective agreement. This is great news for the community. We will make every effort to ensure that the conditions are right for the plant’s reopening,” said Nicolas Lapierre, Steelworkers’ Coordinator for Quebec’s North Shore region.
Bedrock Industries is the majority owner of Stelco Steel. Key Banc analyst Phil Gibbs suggests that the pairing of Pointe-Noire and Stelco “is a perfect natural hedge for Stelco should it restart the long-idled Hamilton blast furnace.”
The Hamilton facility has a slab production capacity of 2 million tons annually, which requires about 6.5 million tons of iron ore. Stelco currently is under contract with U.S. Steel for 4.0 million tons until 2021, so the acquisition of Pointe-Noire by its majority owner would be to Stelco’s advantage. The pellet plant has a nominal capacity of 6.6 million tons. The facility is ideally located near the Sept-Îles deep-water seaport, easily accessing both the Great Lakes and seaborne markets.
Sandy Williams
Read more from Sandy WilliamsLatest in Steel Mills
Bedrock’s Kestenbaum talks MUSSGA, Trump, and tariffs
Alan Kestenbaum was the featured speaker at SMU’s Community Chat on Wednesday, where he discussed US Steel, tariffs, climate policy and other topics.
SDI posts lower Q4 profit, predicts better times in ’25
Steel Dynamic Inc.’s profits narrowed in the fourth quarter of 2024 on lower prices, import competition, and continued losses from its sheet mill in Sinton, Texas. The Fort Wayne, Ind.-based steelmaker said results also suffered from an unplanned outage at its sheet mill in Butler, Ind. That reduced sales volumes by approximately 50,000 tons.
AISI outlines key issues for steel to Trump admin
The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) has reached out to the Trump administration, as well as some members of Congress, to present a blueprint of issues that are top of mind for steel producers. “2025 presents an opportunity for the new administration and Congress to take a holistic look at the key issues impacting […]
Algoma to shut down line in Ontario ahead of EAF start
The 106” Mill was part of Algoma's plate and strip combination facility.
Nippon trial vs. US government to begin early next month: Report
Nippon Steel’s litigation against the US government is set to begin in early February, according to a report by Japan’s Kyodo News Agency. Nippon will file its opening brief on Feb. 3. And both parties will conclude their claims by March 17 in the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Kyodo […]