In reporting its year-end earnings, North Star parent BlueScope Steel said the potential debottlenecking project could boost capacity by 500,000 metric tons, allowing it to take full advantage of its multi-million-dollar plant expansion, now underway.

The expansion is bringing a third electric arc furnace and second slab caster to the Delta, Ohio, USA, sheet mill.

“The current North Star expansion is not far from completion,” BlueScope managing director and chief executive Mark Vassella told analysts during the company’s earnings call. 

The company said meltshop commissioning is well underway, with the first heats expected this month. Also, installation of a new ladle metallurgy unit is substantially complete, and installation of the second caster and tunnel furnace are progressing. Equipment is being set, and installation of piping is getting underway. 

The first coils are expected in early 2022, and ramp-up is expected to take 18 months. The company said it will explore the debottlenecking project during the ramp-up.