Big River Rolls Out Its First Coil
12/14/2016 - Big River Steel has fired up the meltshop and hot mill at its US$1.3 billion facility and has produced its first coil, the steelmaker announced on Wednesday.
It’s a significant milestone for the facility, one that signals its near-completion. The batch annealing shop and temper mill were commissioned this spring, and the facility is expected to be fully operational early next year.
The so-called flex mill will be capable of producing 1.6 million tons annually. The company said the facility will operate with the agility of a mini-mill, but will offer the products of an integrated facility.
According to Big River, the facility is the first in North America to connect an electric arc furnace to a Ruhrstahl Heraeus degasser. And it will be the only EAF-based mill in the U.S. producing hot rolled steel as thick as 1 inch and as wide as 78 inches, the company said.
The first coil was sold to Zekelman Industries’ Atlas Tube, which makes hollow structural sections and is just a few miles away from the facility. Big River, in conjunction with Zekelman Industries, donated the revenue from the sale, worth $100,000, to two nonprofits, the Wounded Warrior Project and Arkansas Northeastern College.
“We are thrilled to be commemorating this milestone alongside Zekelman Industries. The northeast Arkansas community, home to both Big River and one of Zekelman’s most advanced facilities, has embraced our arrival with open arms,” said Big River chief executive Dave Stickler.
“In terms of joining with Zekelman Industries in supporting Wounded Warrior Project and Arkansas Northeastern College, we are
honored to be able to do this so early in the life of our company.”
The Wounded Warrior Project benefits injured service members, and Arkansas Northeastern is a community college that has been working with Big River on assembling its workforce.
The so-called flex mill will be capable of producing 1.6 million tons annually. The company said the facility will operate with the agility of a mini-mill, but will offer the products of an integrated facility.
According to Big River, the facility is the first in North America to connect an electric arc furnace to a Ruhrstahl Heraeus degasser. And it will be the only EAF-based mill in the U.S. producing hot rolled steel as thick as 1 inch and as wide as 78 inches, the company said.
The first coil was sold to Zekelman Industries’ Atlas Tube, which makes hollow structural sections and is just a few miles away from the facility. Big River, in conjunction with Zekelman Industries, donated the revenue from the sale, worth $100,000, to two nonprofits, the Wounded Warrior Project and Arkansas Northeastern College.
“We are thrilled to be commemorating this milestone alongside Zekelman Industries. The northeast Arkansas community, home to both Big River and one of Zekelman’s most advanced facilities, has embraced our arrival with open arms,” said Big River chief executive Dave Stickler.
“In terms of joining with Zekelman Industries in supporting Wounded Warrior Project and Arkansas Northeastern College, we are
honored to be able to do this so early in the life of our company.”
The Wounded Warrior Project benefits injured service members, and Arkansas Northeastern is a community college that has been working with Big River on assembling its workforce.
