Speaking during a press event, Goncalves said the plant will replace union jobs that were lost after Cliffs idled its Weirton tinplate mill earlier this year. Cliffs shut down the mill earlier this year following an adverse ruling from the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC). 

In the ruling, the ITC rejected the imposition of tariffs on imported tinplate from certain countries. The ruling countered an earlier finding from the Commerce Department, which found that tinplate from those countries was being unfairly traded. 

Not only will the transformer plant will provide new jobs for workers affected by mill closure, it will provide a new outlet for Cliffs’ electrical steel produced at its Butler, Pa., facility. 
"This this plant would not be possible without my partnership with the (United Steelworkers) here in West Virginia," Goncalves said. "This will be our first plant, not our last one, so be prepared for more."

West Virginia is supporting the plant with a US$50 million forgivable loan. 

“In addition to saving these important jobs, this deal shows our commitment to energy independence. By making these high-demand transformers right here, we're cutting down on our need for energy from other countries and making our grid stronger," said West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice. "We turned a really tough situation into a great outcome, and I'm proud to say this is how we do things in West Virginia."  

Goncalves first revealed plans for the utility-scale transformer plant during the 2024 Global Steel Dynamics Forum, a conference co-organized by the Association for Iron & Steel Technology. During the conference, Goncalves said that with lead times for electrical transformers at 37 weeks, the company sees an opportunity.