U. S. Steel Selects Osceola for new facility

OSCEOLA —United States Steel Corporation announced Tuesday that its next-generation highly sustainable and technologically advanced steel mill will be located in Osceola, close to U. S. Steel’s Big River Steel plant.

The facility is engineered to bring together the most advanced technology to deliver profitable solutions for customers.

The new optimized steel production facility is expected to feature two electric arc furnaces with 3 million tons per year of advanced steelmaking capability, a state of the art endless casting and rolling line and advanced finishing capabilities. This first use of endless casting and rolling technology in the United States brings significant energy, efficiency and capability enhancements to the company’s operations.

The site selection is subject to a number of factors, including final agreements with key partners.

Permitting for the project is underway and the company expects to break ground in the first quarter of 2022, with project completion and full operation anticipated in 2024.

“With this location selected and shovels ready, we are reshaping the future of steelmaking,” said U. S.

Steel President and Chief Executive Officer David B.

Burritt. “We had numerous competitive site options, but Osceola offers our customers incomparable advantages.”

When completed, the new facility in combination with Big River Steel will form a 6.3 million ton mega mill capable of providing many of the most advanced and sustainable steels in North America. Burritt said the location affords abundant, increasingly renewable and clean power from Entergy, superior Class 1 rail service from BNSF with connections to other railroads, Mississippi River docks and interstate trucking access.

“The State of Arkansas, Mississippi County, the City of Osceola, Entergy, BNSF, and other parties have all worked to make this the clear choice for a path to the future without roadblocks,” Burritt added.

“We’re not going to make our stakeholders wait to see progress. We intend to break ground this quarter and get to work as soon as permits are in hand. With its extraordinarily low-cost structure, energy efficient production equipment, and advanced capabilities, this $3 billion project will yield significant benefits to our customers, stockholder, communities, employees and contribute to a more sustainable world.”

Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Arkansas has created an ideal business environment for the growth of the steel industry in the state.

“The investment and high paying jobs that will result from this announcement will make a real difference in the lives of many families in Northeast Arkansas,” Hutchinson said. “I am grateful for the support of the legislature which was critical in winning this expansion. Now, U. S. Steel is an important part of our future, and we look forward to continued success in the coming years.”

Arkansas Secretary of Commerce Mike Preston added that Mississippi County has become a national leader in steel production.

“U. S. Steel’s decision to create ‘the steel mill of the future’ in this community continues to underscore why,” Preston said. “Not only does Arkansas have a trained workforce, a reliable electrical grid, and easy access to river, rail and highways, but it also has a governor, a General Assembly and numerous community partners and stakeholders who recognize the importance of broadening economic opportunities for Arkansans and who will go the extra mile to compete for those opportunities. U. S. Steel is a highly regarded member of the state’s business community, and we are excited to continue our partnership with them as they establish the most advanced steelmaking facility in North America – right here in Arkansas.”