Liberty Steel USA will make a major capital investment in its liquid steel production facilities at Georgetown, South Carolina, to boost output substantially and secure the long term future of the mill, which it re-opened just over a year ago.
The company, part of Sanjeev Gupta’s global GFG Alliance, plans to invest up to $25 million to install a modern electric arc furnace at the Georgetown mill and extensively improve the infrastructure of the mill’s melt shop.
Liberty has already invested significant sums to increase the versatility of its rolling mill at Georgetown, in order to serve key markets for wire rod in the south eastern United States.
The company aims to increase wire rod output from the site to over 400,000 tons a year to serve customers across the region in sectors such as automotive and construction product manufacture, but in order to do so it needs to upgrade the melt shop to supply competitive high-quality billets.
Global metals industry engineering specialists Danieli have undertaken extensive surveys at the site over recent weeks in preparation for the project which is expected to include Danieli’s new energy efficient Q-ONE technology.
Work to install the new arc furnace and upgrade melting and casting facilities is expected to take between six and nine months once permits are obtained, during which time Georgetown will roll billets sourced externally, including billets from its sister plant in Peoria, Illinois.
In addition to the installation of a new electric arc furnace, the investment project will include new electrical systems, improvements to water and natural gas supply and ancillary equipment to support improved melt shop operations, along with environmental permits for modifications to regulated processes. In addition, substantial structural upgrades, including strengthened foundations, will be required.
Liberty has forged a constructive relationship with the Georgetown government and the union, who share a vision of continued success and development for the mill and Georgetown.
Liberty acquired the Georgetown mill in a shuttered state from ArcelorMittal in December 2017 and reopened the site seven months later.
Published in the November 2019 Edition