A steel manufacturer recently announced that it will build its new state of the art steel plate mill in Brandenburg, Kentucky, producing cut-to-length, coiled, heat-treated, and discrete plate.
Nucor Corporation will invest approximately $1.35 billion to build the mill along the Ohio River southwest of Louisville, which will be capable of producing 1.2 million tons per year of steel plate products and is expected to be fully operational in 2022, pending permit and regulatory approvals.
“This strategic investment will enable us to build a clear market leadership position in the U.S. plate market. Kentucky is an excellent location for this mill, right in the center of America’s largest plate consuming region,” said John Ferriola, Chairman, CEO & President of Nucor Corporation. “Our acquisition of the Gallatin sheet mill in Ghent, Kentucky five years ago has been a tremendous success, and we are pleased to add a second mill in the state.”
The new plate mill will give Nucor the ability to produce 97 percent of the products demanded in the domestic plate market, including the specialty higher-margin products, including the discrete plate ranging from 60 to 160 inches wide, and in gauges from 3/16 of an inch to 14 inches. The selected location on the Ohio River will give Nucor logistical advantages in sourcing raw materials and serving customers throughout the Midwest. Nucor currently operates plate mills in North Carolina, Alabama, and Texas.
Nucor has two additional major investment projects underway at its Gallatin sheet mill in Kentucky. Nucor Steel Gallatin’s new galvanizing line will be operational during the second quarter of this year. And, its project to increase Gallatin’s hot-rolled coil capacity at expanded widths of up to 73 inches is expected to come online during 2021. The new plate mill and the projects at Nucor Steel Gallatin represent more than $2 billion in investments in the state of Kentucky.
