Nucor Corp. announced plans to install vacuum degassers at the sheet mill in Decatur, Ala., and at the sheet mill in Hickman, Ark.

The addition of the vacuum degassers is part of the Nucor Sheet Mill Group's strategic plan of providing value-added products to its customers. The investment will enable Nucor to produce some of the highest quality sheet steels available today, which will facilitate increased participation in the automotive and appliance sectors, particularly in the southern half of the United States and Mexico.

Once operational, the new vacuum degassers will result in an estimated combined additional capacity of 1,000,000 tons. Total capital expenditures for each project are estimated to be under $20.0 million. The projects demonstrate Nucor's stated objective of expanding incremental capacity to targeted markets at low capital cost, in this case under $40 per ton.

Nucor Executive Vice President John Ferriola said, "We are very excited about these new projects. The vacuum degassers will be in place and supplying the market in the first half of 2006. They will significantly add to our strong current capabilities to service the value-added markets from our Crawfordsville, Ind., and Berkeley, S.C., facilities."

Nucor is one of the largest steel producers in the United States and is the nation's largest recycler. Nucor and affiliates manufacture steel products with operating facilities in fifteen states. Products include carbon and alloy steel bars, beams, sheet, and plate; steel joists and joist girders; steel deck; cold finished steel; steel fasteners; metal building systems; and light gauge steel framing.