Environment and Energy
Nucor: Brandenburg Rolls First Plate, Targeting Q1 Shipments
Written by David Schollaert
January 3, 2023
Nucor Corp. rolled its first steel plate at its new $1.7-billion plate mill in Brandenburg, Ky., on Dec. 30, the company said in a statement on Tuesday, Jan. 3.
The Charlotte, N.C.-based steelmaker confirmed final commissioning and first customer shipments from the mill are expected in the first quarter of 2023.
“Congratulations to our more than 400 teammates for achieving this important milestone,” said Leon Topalian, Nucor’s chair, president, and CEO. “We are looking forward to supplying not only the highest quality steel but also the most sustainable plate products in the world for our nation’s military, infrastructure, heavy equipment, offshore wind, and other markets.”
The Brandenburg plate mill — slated to have an annual capacity of 1.2 million tons — is one of very few mills worldwide and the only one in the US capable of manufacturing at scale the heavy-gauge plate critical for monopile foundations and offshore wind farms, the release said.
Nucor looks to capitalize on what it anticipates being roughly 7.5 million tons of new steel demand because of the $300 billion for clean energy development and climate programs included in the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act.
The ultramodern mill can produce 97% of plate products consumed domestically and is centrally located in the country’s largest steel plate-consuming region. Also of note, is Nucor’s pursuit of LEED v4 for Building and Design certification for its new plate mill, a certification even more rigorous than previous LEED rating systems, within categories of sustainable performance, climate change, and third-party transparency and reporting requirements.
“We are proud to bring high-quality manufacturing jobs to the Commonwealth of Kentucky and look forward to being part of the Brandenburg community for many decades,” said Johnny Jacobs, VP, and GM of Nucor Steel Brandenburg.
By David Schollaert, David@SteelMarketUpdate.com
David Schollaert
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