Republic Steel, Canton, Ohio, has invested $85 million in its plant in Lorain, Ohio, where it has initiated hot commissioning of its new electric arc furnace. The furnace will provide more than one million tons of steel annually for the production of semi-finished, bar and coil products. The initial heats will be cast into 6 x 6-in. billets and will be rolled on the 0.9 in. rolling mill. The EAF will supply both the bloom and billet casters, enabling the high-quality production of SBQ bar and coil from 0.295 in. to 6.5 in. diameter; and 6 in., 10.5 in., 11.625 in., 12.25 in. and 13.5 in. diameter seamless tube rounds.
Features of the state-of-the art EAF include a 150 ton heat size, eccentric bottom tapping, 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 were awarded to SMS Concast (for EAF process equipment), Siemens (for the yard substation and related equipment), and TES (for the furnace transformer).
Production on the billet caster is expected to ramp up over the next several months, with bloom cast production beginning in February 2014. The project ultimately will create nearly 450 full-time jobs over the next several years, bringing more than $1 billion dollars in annual economic activity to Ohio. The existing 489 jobs in Lorain will be retained.
“This latest investment in Republic Steel demonstrates our commitment to exceeding our customer’s expectations, and satisfying both their current and future volume requirements,” said Jaime Vigil, Republic Steel president and CEO. “It is an exciting day for our Lorain plant, which discontinued steel production in December 2008 and is now back in the steelmaking business.”
