Algoma Steel Group has achieved first steel production from its new electric arc furnace (EAF) project.
The Sault Ste. Marie sheet and plate producer said in a July 10 news release that the first arc and steel from unit one marks a “pivotal milestone” in the transformation of the community’s 120-year-old cornerstone industry.
The steelmaker said the milestone came after 10 days of successful testing and tuning.
The company began construction of two $880-million Danieli-designed furnaces in 2021 to replace its blast furnace and basic oxygen steelmaking operations.
Algoma said the EAF will better meet the needs of its customers with a more “green steel” product using a technology that will reduce the steel plant’s carbon emissions by up to 70 per cent.
“We are proud to have reached this critical milestone in what is the largest industrial decarbonization project in Canada,” said Algoma president-CEO Michael Garcia in a statement.
“This moment reflects years of careful planning, disciplined execution, and extraordinary effort since we broke ground in November 2021. Bringing the first EAF online during a period of trade uncertainty underscores our determination to innovate and lead, opening new opportunities as we begin to realize the full potential of EAF steel production.”
Algoma said all EAFs will be branded with the Volta™ name in tribute to Alessandro Volta, the Italian chemist and physicist who first harnessed electricity in 1800.
