Startup Flows Smoothly at Big River

Once its new Ruhrstahl-Heraeus (RH) degasser is fully commissioned in the next 30-45 days, Big River Steel will have all its steelmaking equipment up and running. Except for “a few hiccups,” the startup of the new EAF mill in Osceola, Ark., has gone smoothly, said Mark Bula, chief commercial officer, “above plan, plan-plus.” Speaking at the recent AMM conference in New York, Big River CEO David Stickler said the new minimill is already running at 80-85 percent of rated capacity. By August, BRS hopes to be producing 130,000 to 133,000 tons a month, near full capacity for the 1.6-million-ton mill.

It can now produce hot roll, hot rolled pickled and oiled, cold roll full hard, cold roll fully processed and galvanized. It can handle batch annealing or continuous annealing. The continuous anneal line will allow the mill to produce advanced high strength steels.