Nucor announces DRI production start-up

Nucor Corporation has announced that the production start-up of its new direct reduced iron (DRI) facility in Trinidad commenced late last month. According to a press release on the company's website, the heat up of the facility, Nu-Iron Unlimited, started December 6, 2006, followed by the start-up of DRI production December 30, 2006. The DRI facility is located in Point Lisas, Trinidad. During the second week of production, the Nu-Iron team conducted a five-day performance test which showed an average production of 220 tons per hour, the achievement of “excellent metallization” and the production of DRI containing more than 2 percent carbon, according to the company. "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. Executive VP of Business Development Joe Rutkowski told press, “Midrex has informed us that, in their experience, this is one of the quickest plant ramp-ups from heat up to full production. 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." In 2004, Nucor acquired the assets of American Iron Reduction (AIR), a 1.4 million tons per year DRI plant utilizing MIDREX(R) MEGAMOD technology. Nucor relocated the assets Point Lisas, Trinidad in 2005 and increased the capacity to 2.0 million tons per year.