Nucor Announces New Development in St. James Parish Project
01/28/2011 - The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality has issued an air quality permit for Nucor Corp.’s direct reduced iron making facility that will be located in St. James Parish, La. The facility could ultimately lead to construction of a coke plant, blast furnace, pellet plant and steel mill.
The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality has issued an air quality permit for Nucor Corp.’s direct reduced iron making facility that will be located in St. James Parish, La.
Issuance of the air permit will allow the company to immediately begin the process of ordering equipment and commencing construction. The permit allows for the construction and operation of two plants with a combined annual direct reduced iron (DRI) production of 5,500,000 tons. Nucor will build one DRI plant initially, with plans to expand to a second facility in the future.
"We are very excited that we will be able to begin moving forward with the construction of this facility," said Nucor Chairman and CEO Daniel R. DiMicco. “Our nation's economy needs capital investment projects like this that stimulate job growth and contribute to a sustainable economic recovery.
"We would like to thank Governor Bobby Jindal, Economic Development Secretary Stephen Moret, local officials and members of the St. James Parish community for their support of this project," added DiMicco
Direct reduction technology converts natural gas and iron ore pellets into high quality direct reduced iron used by Nucor's steel mills. The DRI facility is the first phase of a multi-phase plan that could include a coke plant, blast furnace, pellet plant and steel mill.
According to Nucor, the project's first phase will create 150 permanent Nucor jobs that earn an average annual salary of $75,000, plus benefits; approximately twice the median household income for that part of Louisiana. During peak construction, 500 jobs will be directly created. If additional phases of the project are constructed, over time Nucor could have a total investment of over $3 billion and increase permanent employment to more than 1000.
To date, Nucor has invested over $50 million to acquire nearly 4000 acres of property on the Mississippi River for the facility.
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Nucor and affiliates manufacture steel products, with operating facilities primarily in the U.S. and Canada. Products produced include carbon and alloy steel bars, beams, sheet and plate; steel joists and joist girders; steel deck; fabricated concrete reinforcing steel; cold finished steel; steel fasteners; metal building systems; light gauge steel framing; steel grating and expanded metal; and wire and wire mesh. Nucor, through The David J. Joseph Co., also brokers ferrous and nonferrous metals, pig iron and HBI/DRI; supplies ferro-alloys; and processes ferrous and nonferrous scrap. Nucor is North America's largest recycler.
