Company Announcements
January 19, 2026
Algoma charges BF #7 for last time, begins fully EAF era
Written by Ethan Bernard
The final charge of Algoma Steel’s #7 blast furnace occurred on Saturday as the company transitions to fully electric-arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking.
“The shutdown of our primary operations commenced last week with our coke-making assets,” a spokeswoman for the Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario-based steelmaker told SMU on Monday. “We have a dedicated project team engaged to ensure the asset decommissioning is completed safely.”
She noted this marks the end of an era in Algoma Steel’s 125-year history as a conventional integrated steel producer. But it’s also the beginning of the next chapter, where the company produces only EAF steel.
“This transition will reduce our environmental footprint, with an expected reduction of 3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually,” the spokeswoman added.
Algoma also had BF #6, which was already idled, according to SMU’s Blast Furnace Status table.
As of now, Algoma is producing sustainable steel from its EAF #2, which began production in the summer of 2025, while the construction of EAF #1 continues.
“We expect both furnaces to be fully operational later this year,” the spokeswoman concluded.
The steelmaker has faced headwinds as its EAF transition has coincided with President Trump’s new tariff regime that has impacted its bottom line. Current Algoma CEO Rajat Marwah replaced Michael Garcia on Jan. 1.
