Steel Mills

Essar Steel Minnesota Taconite Project Delayed Until 2015
Written by Sandy Williams
October 22, 2013
Completion of the Essar Steel Minnesota taconite project has been delayed until late 2015 according company officials. The facility, begun in 2008, was originally slated for completion in 2013 and would increase annual production of taconite pellets from 4 million tonnes to 7 million tonnes.
Essar Steel Minnesota CEO and President Madhu Vuupuluri said production has been slowed at the Mesabi Iron Range facility while the company completes a transaction for $600 million of additional funding.
Earlier this year Essar Steel Minnesota signed a 10 year agreement to provide 3.5 million metric tonnes iron ore pellets annually to ArcelorMittal beginning in the second half of 2014. The company is also supposed to supply Essar Steel Algoma with up to four million tons of pellets annually.
The company’s handling of the taconite project has come under criticism from Minnesota Representative Tom Anzelc, Dan Kingsley, representative for Local 49 Operating Engineers, and John Drahek, president of the Iron Range and Building Trades.
Sault This Week is expected to release a report containing allegations and concerns raised by Anzelc, Kingsley and Drahek later this week. The news source has agreed to hold the report until Kevin Kangas, director of environmental and government affairs for Essar Steel Minnesota, has time to react on behalf of the company to what he claims are “inaccuracies” in the report. (Source: Sault This Week)

Sandy Williams
Read more from Sandy WilliamsLatest in Steel Mills

Stelco Considering Bid for U.S. Steel: Bloomberg
Canadian steelmaker Stelco Holdings Inc. is now in the mix to purchase U.S. Steel, according to an article in Bloomberg on Thursday, which cited people familiar with the matter.

USS Expects Lower Q3 Earnings, Says UAW Strike Partly To Blame
U.S. Steel expects earnings to drop in the third quarter vs. the prior quarter and the same period a year earlier as the company adjusts production because of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union strike.

SDI to Provide Steel for Mercedes Plant in Alabama
Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI) and Mercedes-Benz have signed an agreement for the automaker to source 50,000 metric tons of C02-reduced steel for its plant in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Algoma’s CEO Highlights the Switch to Greener Steelmaking
As the world works to decarbonize and limit greenhouse-gas emissions to reach the goals outlined in the Paris Agreement, many steel companies have joined others in setting their own targets to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
U.S. Steel Idling Granite City ‘B’ Furnace in Response to UAW strike
U.S. Steel said on Monday it plans to temporarily idle blast furnace ‘B’ at its Granite City Works near St. Louis. The Pittsburgh-based steelmaker said it made the move in response to the United Auto Workers (UAW) union strike against “Big Three” automakers Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis. “Following the announcement of UAW strike actions, […]