Steel Mills
North Star BlueScope Expansion on Hold
Written by Sandy Williams
April 7, 2020
BlueScope Steel says it will delay the North Star BlueScope expansion under way in Ohio for six months to minimize cash expenses as part of its strategy to maintain financial health during the COVID-19 crisis. The full scope of the project will resume when conditions improve.
BlueScope Managing Director and CEO Mark Vassella said, “We are drawing on all our resources, experience and expertise to keep our employees, customers and communities safe and to look after their health and well-being. We are also taking direct action to maintain the financial strength of our business.”
North Star BlueScope is slated for a third electric arc furnace with a melt capacity of approximately 850,000 metric tons and a second caster. Once completed, the Delta, Ohio, mill will have an annual capacity of 3 million metric tons. At the end of 2019, construction had begun on the foundation and melt shop building and the tunnel furnace car foundation. The new administration building and warehouse were nearly complete. Original projections anticipated commissioning the new mill in 2022.
Although steelmaking is considered an essential service in most countries, operations have been temporarily closed in Malaysia and New Zealand to comply with government regulations during the pandemic. Operations in China are beginning to ramp up as business activity increases across the country, said Vassella.
Sandy Williams
Read more from Sandy WilliamsLatest in Steel Mills
Ancora asks USS to delay shareholder meeting until after Nippon deal wind-down date
The investment firm seeking to oust U.S. Steel’s leadership has asked the steelmaker to schedule its annual shareholder meeting after June 18. That’s the deadline set by the US government for USS and Nippon Steel to unwind their nearly $15-billion merger deal. Ancora Holdings Group sent a letter dated Feb. 27 to board members of […]
Algoma Steel temporarily idles blast furnace, local news reports
"We experienced an event at the blast furnace which required a controlled shut down to facilitate repairs," a spokesperson said.
Global steel output rises in January
Global crude steel output rose 5% from December to January but still lagged last year.
Production slows at USS Edgar Thomson Plant after BOF house incident
The building in Braddock, Pa. that houses the basic oxygen process equipment suffered “minor damage” on Feb. 23, a spokesperson said.
Cliffs swings to loss in 2024 amid ‘worst steel demand environment since 2010’
"The second half of last year was especially bad with the steel demand from the automotive sector slowing down, construction activity lagging and industrial production taking a hit," the CEO said.