SMU Community Chat with David Stickler of Hybar

We talked about the rebar mill Hybar is building in Osceola, Ark. It’s scheduled to start up next year. The plan is for mill to use 100% renewable energy when the sun is shining. And to use hydrogen as a partial substitute for natural gas when it is not.

Building a mill in Osceola is something Stickler knows about. Recall that he oversaw the construction and ramp-up of Big River Steel there before its acquisition by U.S. Steel.

We discussed what the transformation of northeast Arkansas into a key steelmaking hub means for both raw material providers and steel consumers. We also talked about site selection for a second Hybar rebar mill and the possibility not only of a third rebar mill but also of a flat-rolled steel mill.

The big picture

Zooming out to the broader steel and recycled metal markets, Stickler talked about what it means to be a “green” steelmaker. Part of that discussion was what he sees as a “fool’s rush” toward green direct-reduced iron (DRI) in North America

In addition, we talked about the evolution of the steel industry. One key theme: the use of higher and higher percentages of scrap metal used to make flat-rolled steel.

This was a “fireside chat” – with a significant volume of questions during the Q&A from those who tuned in live.