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Republic Steel Breaks Ground on New EAF at Lorain
06/02/2012 - Republic Steel announced that contracts have been awarded and construction is under way for the new electric arc furnace and related equipment at its Lorain, Ohio, steelmaking facility. The company expects the first heat of steel from the new facility to be tapped during the second quarter of 2013.
Republic Steel announced that contracts have been awarded and construction is under way for the new electric arc furnace and related equipment at its Lorain, Ohio, steelmaking facility. The company expects the first heat of steel from the new facility to be tapped during the second quarter of 2013.
Republic Steel has been producing and selling SBQ steel for more than 125 years. The company claims to make and sell more SBQ than any other company. Republic Steel was acquired in July 2005 by Industrias CH, S.A de C.V. (ICH), a growing steel producer and processor based in Mexico City. Since 2005, ICH has invested more than $600 million into Republic Steel (formerly Republic Engineered Products, Inc.), which is North America's leading supplier of SBQ steel. Republic's products include hot-rolled steel bars, cold-finished steel bars, and bottom-poured ingots. With headquarters in Canton, Ohio, and steelmaking capabilities in Canton and Lorain, Ohio, the company operates value-added rolling and finishing facilities in Canton, Lorain, and Massillon, Ohio; Lackawanna, N.Y.; Gary, Ind.; and Hamilton, Ontario.
Republic Steel's new furnace is expected to increase the company's liquid steel production by 1.2 million tons annually, the Lorain site's first significant growth in steelmaking this century, the company notes. The new equipment will supply both Republic's bloom and billet casters, allowing for the production of high-quality SBQ (special bar quality) bar and coil from 0.295 inch to 6-1/2 inch diameter, and 6-, 10-1/2, 11-5/8, 12-1/4, and 13-1/2 -inch diameter seamless tube rounds.
Features of the new state-of-the-art EAF include: a 150-ton heat size, eccentric bottom tapping (EBT), an exchangeable upper/lower shell, a 120/135 MVA furnace transformer, current conducting arms, oxy fuel burners, carbon and lime injection systems, a temperature/sampling system, and level 1 and level 2 automation.
Major contracts for the project have been awarded to SMS Concast (for EAF process equipment), Siemens (for the yard substation and related equipment, and TES (for the furnace transformer).
The expansion is designed to meet growing customer demand for the company's high-quality SBQ steel, driven by the automotive, capital equipment, and energy markets.
The project will reportedly bring 449 new jobs and more than $1 billion in annual economic activity to Ohio. The existing 489 jobs at the Lorain facility will be retained.
"This is a very proud day for Republic Steel," said Republic President and CEO Jaime Vigil. "This expansion will help us maintain our position as the industry leader in SBQ manufacturing. The additional capacity from the new furnace will allow us more flexibility and efficiency in delivering the highly engineered products our customers require."
Republic Steel has been producing and selling SBQ steel for more than 125 years. The company claims to make and sell more SBQ than any other company. Republic Steel was acquired in July 2005 by Industrias CH, S.A de C.V. (ICH), a growing steel producer and processor based in Mexico City. Since 2005, ICH has invested more than $600 million into Republic Steel (formerly Republic Engineered Products, Inc.), which is North America's leading supplier of SBQ steel. Republic's products include hot-rolled steel bars, cold-finished steel bars, and bottom-poured ingots. With headquarters in Canton, Ohio, and steelmaking capabilities in Canton and Lorain, Ohio, the company operates value-added rolling and finishing facilities in Canton, Lorain, and Massillon, Ohio; Lackawanna, N.Y.; Gary, Ind.; and Hamilton, Ontario.
