Liberty Steel announced it will build a new EAF at its Georgetown, South Carolina, wire rod mill. The $25 million investment is one of many upgrades to the mill's melting and casting capabilities, as the company aims to increase wire rod output to over 400,000 tons per year in order to serve the automotive and construction industries.
Liberty Steel’s current melt shop, which has a capacity of 500,000 tons per year, has been unable to keep up with investments in Georgetown's rolling mill, the company said in a statement, adding that the new EAF is necessary for the operation to remain competitive.
The upgrade is expected to take nine months to complete once permits are approved, and during the process the mill will source billet externally, including from the company’s mill in Peoria, Illinois.
Liberty Steel bought the Georgetown mill from ArcelorMittal in December 2017 and reopened the facility mid-2018.