Steel Mills
SDI Breaks Ground on Aluminum Rolling Mill in Mississippi
March 9, 2023
Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI) has broken ground on its previously announced aluminum rolling mill outside of Columbus, Miss., according to local media reports.
When local TV station WCBI asked SDI chairman, president, and CEO Mark Millett why the company chose the area, he said it was in large part because of opportunities in the beverage can and automotive markets.
“Mississippi is set to be the largest manufacturer of aluminum in the country in less than three years, serving companies who help serve your favorite beverage in a can,” Millett told WCBI.
The mill is expected to provide more than 800 jobs, according to WCBI.
The Fort Wayne, Ind.-based steelmaker announced the location of the mill in November. SDI at that time said the mill, which will operate under the name Aluminum Dynamics, was expected to have annual capacity of 650,000 metric tons. It is slated to begin operations in mid-2025 and to serve the beverage can, automotive, and common alloy markets.
The project was originally slated to cost $2.2 billion. SDI revised the estimate upward to $2.5 billion in January. Note that SMU reported the aluminum rolling mill will cost $1.9 billion, with much of the rest of the money going toward two offsite facilities that will cast slabs from recycled aluminum scrap. Most of the additional costs were related to these facilities, with one expected to be in the southwestern US and another in north-central Mexico.
SDI already operates an electric-arc furnace steel sheet mill in Columbus.
By Ethan Bernard, ethan@steelmarketupdate.com
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