Steel Mills

New EAF for Liberty Steel Georgetown

October 10, 2019

Liberty Steel USA will get a new $25 million electric arc furnace at its Georgetown, S.C., rolling mill next year. Georgetown’s aging EAF has an annual capacity of 500,000 metric tons, but actual production has fallen far short of that amount.

“We have a very efficient rolling mill at Georgetown and we now want to put a world-class melt shop behind it so we can achieve our goal to become the leading supplier of wire rod to the region and secure the long-term future of the site,” says Michael Setterdahl, chief executive officer of Liberty Steel USA.

Setterdahl said the facility’s EAF is running significantly behind the capabilities of the more modern rolling mill. The upgraded melt ship will boost billet quality and output substantially, said the company in a news release.

Liberty Steel USA plans to increase wire rod production at Georgetown to more than 400,000 MT per year to serve the automotive and construction industries. The rolling mill has an annual capability of 680,000 MT per year.

The installation of the new EAF will include new electrical systems, improvements to water and natural gas supply and ancillary equipment to support improved melt shop operations, along with environmental permits for modifications to regulated processes. In addition, substantial structural upgrades, including strengthened foundations, will be required. Liberty Steel will work with Danieli Corp. on the upgrade.

The project is expected to take six to nine months, during which time Georgetown will source billets externally, including from its sister plant in Peoria, Ill.

Liberty House Group bought the idled Georgetown facility from ArcelorMittal in December 2017 and restarted production in mid-2018.