Mesabi Metallics рассматривает строительство завода по производству стали в Кентукки

As it nears pellet production on Minnesota’s Iron Range, Mesabi Metallics is also exploring potential locations for a direct-reduced iron plant and steelmaking mini mill, perhaps outside Minnesota. “We are continually evaluating opportunities to go downstream,” Joe Broking, Mesabi Metallics president and chief executive officer said. “One of the sites we are considering is in Kentucky. We are also looking at Minnesota. We are in no position to make a decision. We want to grow, but we want to do it in a responsible way.” According to a Fastmarkets report, a consulting firm working on behalf of Mesabi Metallics has informed the Kentucky Division of Air Quality Permit Review Branch of a proposal “to construct and operate a new direct-reduced iron and scrap-to-steel manufacturing facility in Paducah, Kentucky.” According to a permit application, the company would intend to produce about five million short tons of direct-reduced iron per year alongside a scrap-to-steel plant that would produce about seven million short tons of coiled steel annually, according to the report. Broking emphasized the company is looking at a number of potential locations and nothing has yet been decided. “There are multiple sites we are looking at,” Broking said. The possibility of building a value-added iron plant and steelmaking facility in another state—or in Minnesota—comes as Mesabi Metallics heads toward completion of its $2.5 billion DR-grade iron ore pellet production facility near Nashwauk. Mesabi Metallics had earlier talked about building direct-reduced iron making and steelmaking facilities at Nashwauk. But company officials say construction of DRI and steelmaking making facilities at Nashwauk were not included in its most recent permit amendment in Minnesota. To build a DRI and/or steelmaking facility at Nashwauk would require Mesabi Metallics to again amend permits to put those units back into permitting, according to company officials. In addition, a full-blown Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) would be required to build the facilities in Minnesota, unlike other states, company officials say. The timetable to complete an EIS and receive permitting in Minnesota, would hold potential to delay construction timetables, according to company officials. If the company were to construct a direct-reduced iron making facility and mini mill outside Minnesota, the DR-grade pellets produced at its Nashwauk plant would feed the facility, Broking said. The pellets produced at Nashwauk will be the highest quality DR-grade pellets produced in the world, he said. From 1,700 to 1,900 contractors are working to complete the project, Broking said. The company’s fleet of gigantic 400-ton haul trucks are in use, hauling material to build roads and berms. Processing equipment is expected to ramp up soon. “We expect to have a concentrator line running in August and continually producing concentrate on one mill line,” Broking said. “Mill lines two and three are expected to begin running in September.” Construction work is moving ahead on the pellet plant with a goal of producing the first pellets in September, Broking said. Construction activity is humming across the entire site with 25 cranes currently at work at the north end of the project where the pellet plant is being completed. Three blasts in the mine have taken place, he said. The facility’s one primary crusher has been test run, but not yet run with feed. A massive hiring push is underway, Broking said. The company has received well over 2,000 applications with additional applications still coming in, he said. “These are going to be the highest paying jobs on the Range,” Broking said. “It’s something we’re proud of along with the culture we want to build.” The company recently offered jobs in the mining portion of the project to 40 applicants, he said. As of Tuesday, 37 of the 40 applicants had accepted, he said. When complete, Mesabi Metallics will be the first new pellet plant built on the Iron Range in about 50 years. At capacity it will produce about seven million tons of DR-grade pellets per year and employ about 350. With a higher iron content and lower silica content than traditional iron ore pellets, DR-grade pellets are used to make feed such as hot-briquetted iron to help make steel from mini mill electric arc furnaces. Scrap is also mixed with the higher-added iron in electric arc furnaces to produce the liquid used to make steel.