Swedish specialty steel producer SSAB has announced that it is mulling expansion of its Montpelier facility in Iowa, US. The potential expansion would increase melting and casting capabilities by up to 1.2 million mt above current melting capacity. This represents roughly an additional 800,000 mt per year of finished products along with 400,000 mt of melting capacity to be transferred as slab to SSAB's facility in Mobile, Alabama for rolling and finishing.
SSAB stated that it has entered into an agreement with an engineering firm to undertake a study to identify the requirements related to expansion. The project would result in the Montpelier facility increasing its capacity to as much as 2.1 million mt of finished steel per year. The Montpelier expansion is expected to support growth in output of both rolled plate and heat treated plate products.