Republic Steel adding electric arc furnace to Ohio facility

Republic Steel has announced that construction is under way for a 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.

The expansion is designed to meet growing customer demand for the company’s steel bar quality (SBQ) steel, driven by the automotive, capital equipment, and energy markets. The project is expected to create 449 new jobs and more than $1 billion in annual economic activity. The existing 489 jobs at the Lorain facility will be retained.

Republic Steel's new furnace is expected to increase the company's liquid steel production by 1.2 million tons annually and will account for Lorain's first significant growth in steelmaking in the 21st century. The new equipment will supply the company's bloom and billet casters, allowing for the production of high-quality SBQ bar and coil from 0.295 to 6.5 in. dia., and 6-, 10.5-, 11.625-, 12.25-, and 13.5-in.-dia. seamless tube rounds.