In announcing it has received the equipment order for the first mill and an option for the second, SMS group, Highbar’s technology partner, referenced the third facility, saying that it has options on it, too, and that site selection is underway. 

Highbar announced its Osceola, Ark., USA, project in November and at the time said it would be the first of two rebar mills. 
SMS group said each of the mills will be capable of annually producing just over 600,000 short tons in a full range of sizes and grades in both stick and spooled form. The facilities will feature SMS group Continuous Minimill Technology, which allows steel to be melted, cast and rolled in a single, uninterrupted step. 

SMS group said the it will supply Advanced Unit Rectifier Assembly (AURA) DC-powered electric arc furnace with continuous charging system and robotic solutions that improve labor efficiency.

The furnace will support a single-strand caster, which will be linked to the rolling mill via an induction equalization furnace provided by SMS Elotherm. The rolling mill will consist of 14 housingless stands and an eight-pass MEERdrive high-speed finishing block. 
SMS group said the first mill is being designed to eliminate the need for natural gas in the production process. That, it said, will allow for a 50% reduction in emissions compared to other leading rebar mills. 

The mill is to have an adjacent solar field that ties directly to the plant, allowing it to be fully operated on renewable energy.