Steel Dynamics has selected a Sinton, Texas, site for its new $1.7 billion flat-rolled steel mill. The facility will be located in the Corpus Christi region. SDI had previously narrowed its site selection to five locations in Texas and Louisiana.
The facility is anticipated to have an annual production capacity of approximately three million tons with the capability to produce the latest generation of Advanced High-Strength Steel products. The project will include value-added finishing lines, including a galvanizing line with an annual capacity of 450,000 tons, and a paint line with an annual coating capacity of 250,000 tons.
“Based on casting capability of up to 84 inches wide and up to a 5.5-inch cast thickness, it will be the world's largest thin-slab facility,” said SDI President and CEO Mark Millett. “The mill will also have the capability to produce up to 52.5 ton coils, creating meaningful cost efficiencies for certain energy customers.”
The product offering is anticipated to include various flat roll steel products, including hot roll, cold roll, galvanized, Galvalume and painted steel, primarily serving the energy, automotive, construction and appliance sectors.
Steel Dynamics confirmed that the mill is designed to facilitate the company’s access to three key regional markets: northern and mid-central Mexico, the West Coast, as well as Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana; regions in which steel demand is expected to rise significantly in the near future, and one without much existing steel production capacity.
"We have been developing a flat-roll steel business strategy for this region and Mexico for several years," said Millett, "We have extensive experience and a proven track record for successfully constructing and operating EAF steel mills and downstream value-add finishing lines. Our planned new EAF flat roll steel mill will be the most technologically advanced facility existing today.”
Millett also cited the mill’s low-energy and low-carbon footprint operations. “These advances will further reduce the gap between existing EAF and integrated steel mill production capabilities,” he said.