Big River Steel Doubles Capacity

OSCEOLA, Ark., Nov. 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Big River Steel announced today that it successfully started up the second phase of its Arkansas-based scrap metal recycling and flat-rolled steel production facility. The Phase Two expansion budgeted at $716 million will double Big River Steel's production capacity to 3.3 million tons annually.

"When describing the success of our Phase Two construction efforts, I am extremely proud to be able to use my five favorite words: 'ahead of schedule' and 'under budget.' This achievement is a testament to the hard work and can-do attitude of our employees," said Dave Stickler, Big River Steel's chief executive officer.

Originally slated to be commissioned on January 27, 2021, the mill's second electric arc furnace, ladle metallurgical station, thin-slab continuous caster, tunnel furnace and hot mill downcoiler were brought on line more than two months early and are already being used to produce high-quality steels. With a team of experienced steel technicians and a Phase Two layout consistent with the mill's existing footprint, Big River Steel plans an aggressive ramp-up to reach rated capacity in less than five months. Once rated capacity is reached, Big River Steel will produce close to 5,000 tons of steel per employee per annum, up almost 66% from the already world class 3,000 tons of steel per employee currently produced.

Jim Bell, chief executive officer of BRS Construction Advisory Group LLC, commented, "Being able to successfully complete a $700 million construction project in the face of the COVID pandemic is a tremendous accomplishment. The entire Big River Steel family is extremely proud of what we have accomplished." 

Big River Steel's Flex Mill® is the world's only LEED (Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design) certified steel production facility. With an industry leading carbon emissions factor of only 0.125, Big River Steel is at the forefront of the effort to provide steel consumers with "green steel."

About Big River Steel

In 2017, Big River Steel began operations at its $1.3 billion scrap metal recycling and flat-rolled steel production facility supplied by SMS group. Since then, Big River Steel has provided steel to over 225 customers in the automotive, energy, construction and agricultural industries. Based on its early success, Big River Steel completed its Phase Two expansion to enhance its product capabilities, further improve the efficiency of operations, and serve as the base for incremental expansion projects targeted at the most demanding steel grades, including steel grades used in hybrid and electrical vehicles. At Big River Steel, there's no talk of the status quo. True innovation leads to growth and is rebellious. To learn more, visit www.bigriversteel.com.

SOURCE Big River Steel

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