Steel Mills
March 25, 2018
Big River Sees Expansion, Electrical Steel in its Future
Written by Tim Triplett
Big River Steel sees opportunity in the convergence of two major trends in automotive: development of autonomous/electric vehicles and advanced steels. “Niche steel is a big part of what we want to do. The opportunity in electrical steel is immense,” said Big River Chief Commercial Officer Mark Bula at the S&P Global Platts Steel Markets North America conference in Chicago on Tuesday.
Big River began commercial production on its sophisticated “Flex Mill” in Osceola, Ark., in early 2017 and produced 1.3 million tons of its 1.6-million-ton capacity in its first year. The original plan for the mill outlined a multi-year phased expansion that would double capacity, but the favorable market conditions may move up the timeline. “I believe that this year will be the year we decide whether we are going to expand or not. I’d be surprised if we don’t,” Bula said.
