CRU: Startup of new rail mill in US nears

This news item was first published by CRU. To learn about CRU’s global commodities research and analysis services, visit www.crugroup.com.

Rocky Mountain Steel Mills has begun hot commissioning a universal rail mill at its mini-mill in Pueblo, Colo.

The new plant is designed to produce 650,000 short tons per year of flat-bottom and thick-web rails, in lengths up to 100 meters and weighing as much as 88 kilograms per meter.

Units under commissioning include the break-down mill, tandem reversing mill, cooling bed, and straighteners. Hot trials are underway, and startup activities are progressing according to plan, said equipment supplier Danieli of Italy.

Rocky Mills is part of Orion Steel, which industrial holdings company Atlas Holdings formed after acquiring of Evraz’s North American assets in August. Sanctioned Russian steelmaker Evraz had been seeking a buyer for three years before agreeing a deal with Connecticut-based Atlas.

Ethan Bernard

Ethan Bernard is managing editor for Steel Market Update. He previously worked for American Metal Market as a copy editor in the New York office for two years, starting in 2008. Later, he copy edited AMM’s monthly magazine on a freelance basis from 2015 until 2017. With experience in financial copywriting and textbook publishing, he holds a BA in Comparative Literature from UC Berkeley, and an MFA in Creative Writing from New York University. He can be reached at ethan@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-759-7871.

Ethan Bernard

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