Steel Mills
Nucor To Build Utility Tower Plant in Alabama
February 22, 2023
Nucor Corp. said its Towers & Structures unit will build a new transmission tower production plant in Decatur, Ala.
The Charlotte, N.C.-based steelmaker said the plant will be adjacent to the Nucor Steel Decatur sheet steel mill. It is expected to create 200 jobs.
In December, the company announced plans to build two tower production plants for a combined investment of $270 million dollars.
“We are very excited to be building this new tower production plant in Alabama, where Nucor has a long history and presence throughout the state,” Leon Topalian, Nucor chair, president and CEO, said in a statement on Feb. 22.
The company is still evaluating locations in the Midwest for the second plant.
The Alabama plant will be “highly automated, using efficient, straight-line production, and will also include advanced hot-dip galvanizing operations,” Nucor said.
“These features will increase Nucor Towers & Structures’ capabilities to provide engineered solutions for utility infrastructure and construction projects,” the company added.
Nucor sees increasing demand for utility infrastructure. The company cited issues like grid hardening, renewable energy projects, building a nationwide network of electric vehicle chargers, replacement demand following natural disasters, and population growth.
Also, the company expects federal government programs to drive greater demand. Specifically, support for electric infrastructure and clean energy projects in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Inflation Reduction Act provide nearly half a trillion dollars in funding and incentives.
The Nucor Towers & Structures unit was formed last year when Nucor acquired Summit Utility Structures LLC.
By Ethan Bernard, ethan@steelmarketupdate.com
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