“I am pleased to share that operational start-up of Arizona 2 is now underway,” CMC chairman of the board and chief executive officer Barbara Smith told analysts during the company’s recent fiscal third-quarter earnings call. 

The mill, built next to its original Danieli micro-mill in Mesa, Ariz., USA, will produce 350,000 tons of rebar and 150,000 tons of merchant bar for the West Coast construction market. Work on the merchant finishing line is continuing, according to Danieli, which said the mill will be the first in the world to produce merchant products in endless cast-roll mode. 

The plant also features a continuous scrap charging and pre-heating system, a single-strand caster and Danieli’s Q-One power feeding technology, which allows the electric arc furnace and ladle furnace to be directly connected to the renewable energy sources.  

Smith said the company expects the mill to reach its full run rate by the end of fiscal 2024. 

Meanwhile, CMC is looking to begin construction on its West Virginia micro-mill this summer. Smith said in late June that it was awaiting an air permit and planned to break ground in the middle of this summer. A 30-day public comment period on the permit ended 21 June. 

“Upon receiving the air permit, we will proceed in earnest with the construction. We don’t anticipate any delays in the start of the project,” Smith said.