Cliffs to use DOE grant to replace Middletown BF with DRI, EMF plant

Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. has plans to replace the blast furnace at its Middletown Works in Ohio with a direct-reduced iron (DRI) plant and two electric melting furnaces (EMFs).

The company’s plans are being made possible by a grant of up to $500 million from the Department of Energy’s Industrial Demonstrations Program. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) are providing the funding for the program.

Laura Miller

Laura Miller is a reporter and editor for Steel Market Update. She has held various editorial positions with steel industry publications, associations, and mills since 2007. She joined the SMU team in 2022. 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.