In a statement, the steelmaker said the Brandenburg, Ky., USA, mill reached the milestone on 30 December 2022 and is now looking to ship its first tons during this quarter. 

"Congratulations to our more than 400 teammates for achieving this important milestone and executing one of the safest mill start-ups in Nucor history, while also delivering the project on time and on budget," said Nucor chairman and chief executive Leon Topalian. 

The mill has the capacity to produce 1.2 million tons annually and sits amid the largest steel plate-consuming region in the U.S., Nucor has said. Nucor also has said it will be able to produce 97% of plate products consumed domestically and will be the only mill in the United States capable of manufacturing at scale the heavy-gauge plate used in monopile foundations for offshore wind towers. There are but a few mills globally with such capabilities, according to Nucor. 

“As a result, (the mill) will be a critical part of the supply chain for the continued development of our nation's offshore wind power infrastructure,” Nucor said. “The recent passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which included US$300 billion for clean energy development and climate programs, supports the Biden Administration's announced goal to build 30 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2030. This could result in approximately 7.5 million tons of additional steel demand.”