International Steel Mills

Algoma Steel halts coke production after structure collapse in Sault Ste. Marie

January 22, 2024

Algoma Steel Group has halted coke production in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, after an incident at its coke-making facility this past weekend.

A structure supporting utilities piping at the plant collapsed on Saturday, Jan. 20, the Canadian flat-rolled steel producer said in a statement.

The collapse caused abnormal coke oven gas flaring, atypical air emissions, and liquid waste to be discharged into an adjacent waterway. The source of the leak was identified, and efforts to contain the spill are underway, Algoma said.

The incident has disrupted coke production, but with an ample supply of the steelmaking raw material, the company is not anticipating any interruption in customer shipments at this time.

Laura Miller

Laura Miller is a reporter and editor for Steel Market Update. She has held a variety of positions within the steel industry since 2007, including reporting and editing for Steel Business Briefing/Platts, the Association for Iron and Steel Technology, and Kallanish Commodities, as well as marketing for what was then known as ThyssenKrupp Steel USA (now AM/NS Calvert). After a five-year hiatus working across other industries, she returned to steel in 2021 and has covered the flat rolled, tubular, and trade areas of the industry. She is a member of the Association of Women in the Metal Industries and a past-president of the AWMI Pittsburgh Chapter. She holds a BA in Latin American Studies from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. She can be reached at laura@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-759-7869.