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Nucor Corp. will build a new plate mill in Brandenburg, Ky., located along the Ohio River southwest of Louisville.  Charlotte, N.C.-based Nucor will invest approximately $1.35 billion to build the mill, which is expected to be operational by 2022.

"This strategic investment will enable us to build a clear market leadership position in the U.S. plate market. Kentucky is an excellent location for this mill, right in the center of America's largest plate-consuming region," said John Ferriola, chairman, CEO & president of Nucor. "Our acquisition of the Gallatin sheet mill in Ghent five years ago has been a tremendous success, and we are pleased to add a second mill in the state."

The new plate mill will significantly strengthen Nucor's plate product portfolio, giving the company the ability to produce 97 percent of the products demanded in the domestic plate market, including the specialty higher-margin products. The mill will produce cut-to-length, coiled, heat-treated, and discrete plate ranging from 60 to 160 inches wide, and in gauges from 3/16 inches to 14 inches.

The selected location on the Ohio River will give Nucor logistical advantages in sourcing raw materials and serving customers throughout the Midwest, the company claims. Nucor currently operates plate mills in North Carolina, Alabama and Texas.

Nucor has two additional major investment projects under way at its Gallatin sheet mill in Kentucky. Nucor Steel Gallatin's new galvanizing line will be operational during the second quarter. And, its project to increase Gallatin's hot rolled coil capacity at expanded widths of up to 73 inches is expected to come online during 2021.