Nucor Corp. recently started up DRI production at Nu-Iron Unlimited, the company’s direct reduced iron (DRI) facility in Point Lisas, Trinidad.

Startup of the DRI facility followed a heat-up phase that had commenced on December 5, 2006. By the second week of DRI production, the Nu-Iron team completed a five-day performance test, surpassing an average production of 220 tons per hour, achieving excellent metallization and producing DRI containing more than 2% carbon.

"Midrex has informed us that, in their experience, this is one of the quickest plant ramp-ups from heat up to full production,” said Joe Rutkowski, Nucor’s Executive Vice President of Business Development. “We have produced over 50,000 tons of high quality DRI and are very proud of Nu-Iron's progress. We expect to ship our first vessel to Nucor mills this week."

Nucor had acquired the Louisiana assets of American Iron Reduction (AIR) In September 2004. Nucor relocated the assets of AIR’s former 1.4-million-tons-per-year Midrex^(R) Megamod DRI plant to Point Lisas, Trinidad, in 2005, also increasing the plant’s capacity to 2.0 million tons per year. The Trinidad site offers the native advantage of a low-cost, local supply of natural gas as well as favorable logistics for receiving Brazilian iron ore and shipping DRI to the U.S.

"We are extremely pleased with the start-up of Nu-Iron in Trinidad, as it represents the largest current component of our strategy to control six to seven million tons per year of high quality metallics for the Nucor steel mills," said Dan DiMicco, Nucor's Chairman, President and CEO. "Our team in Trinidad from construction to operations has done an outstanding job relocating and expanding the capabilities of the plant."

Nucor and its affiliates manufacture steel products, with operating facilities in nineteen 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. Nucor is the nation's largest recycler.