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The 750,000-ton-per-year furnace will replace two outdated spout-tapping EAFs.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
Read more from Laura MillerLatest in Steel Mills
Nucor profits jump in Q3, but company cautions on Q4 outlook sequentially
Nucor’s profits more than doubled in the third quarter year over year, but the company expects Q4’25 to be lower sequentially.
SDI announces proprietary low-carbon EDGE products
Steel Dynamics has announced lower-embodied-carbon steel products BIOEDGE and EDGE, and expects “immediate interest” from several markets for some of the offerings.
Wheeling-Nippon Steel raises Galvalume coating extras
The steelmaker released updated extras to customers on Oct. 15, marking the second adjustment in just six weeks following their early September revision
Cliffs offloading some FPT assets, considering HBI plant sale as well
Lourenco Goncalves confirmed that Cleveland-Cliffs is actively selling off portions of its Ferrous Processing and Trading (FPT) assets. Its direct reduction plant in Toledo, Ohio, may also be up for grabs...
SSAB cites US strength but flags tariff-driven uncertainty
The Americas segment of Swedish steelmaker SSAB delivered a stable third quarter, but with weaker shipments and continuing cautious demand. Plate prices held, but tariffs, slowing end-user demand, and...
