Lorain, Ohio-based SBQ producer Republic Steel announced Thursday that construction is now underway for the new electric arc furnace and related equipment at its Lorain mill. The company expects the first heat of steel from the new facility to be tapped during Q2 2013. 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.
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 both Republic's bloom and billet casters allowing for the production of high quality SBQ bar and coil from .295" to 6-1/2" diameter, and 6", 10-1/2", 11-5/8", 12-1/4" and 13-1/2" diameter seamless tube rounds. Features of the new state-of-the-art electric arc furnace 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).