Steel Mills

Primetals to replace two EAFs at US mill

Written by Laura Miller

November 22, 2024

Primetals Technologies announced it will replace two electric-arc furnaces at a steel mill in the US with one more energy-efficient furnace with the latest technology.

The unnamed steelmaker has awarded Primetals a contract to engineer, supply, and start up a 68-ton EAF Ultimate.

The EAF Ultimate, the latest generation of Primetals’ electric furnace offerings, features short tap-to-tap times and a modern eccentric bottom-tapping (EBT) system.

The 750,000-ton-per-year furnace will replace two outdated spout-tapping EAFs.

Additionally, “The manufacturer has taken a pioneering step by selecting Active Power Feeder technology for this project,” London-based Primetals noted.

“With this groundbreaking power supply solution, the company becomes the first steel producer to power an EAF using direct AC-AC conversion utilizing Modular Multilevel Matrix converter (M3C) technology at a medium voltage level, marking a significant advancement in energy efficiency,” it said.

Primetals said power input is managed dynamically, and the melting process is optimized when the feeder is combined with Primetals’ electrode control system Melt Expert.

“This results in reduced energy consumption, lower electrode usage, decreased production costs, and increased process stability, all while meeting utility regulations,” the plant provider stated.

The new furnace is expected to begin operation by the end of 2026.

That’s also around the time new EAFs are slated to start up at ArcelorMittal Dofasco, Nucor Steel West Virginia, and Ternium Mexico, according to SMU’s EAF status table.

The unnamed steelmaker produces medium carbon, high-alloy, and free-cutting steel, according to Primetals, but it’s unclear if it makes flat or long steel products.

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.

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