On Wednesday, leaders with United States Steel Corporation (U.S. Steel) joined Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and other elected officials to celebrate the company’s investment into direct reduced (DR)-grade pellet capabilities at the company’s Minnesota Ore Operations Keetac plant.
Officials said the investment marks progress in U.S. Steel’s metallics strategy by supplying the increasingly tight DR-grade pellet market and in providing the company with the flexibility to feed a future direct reduced iron (DRI) or hot briquetted iron (HBI) facility that would serve the electric arc furnace metallics industry.
“Our investment at Keetac is a commitment to the future of American steel,” said U.S. Steel President and CEO David B. Burritt. “As we look forward to celebrating National Manufacturing Day on Friday, I want to recognize the exceptional team working on this project and our employees for their dedication. When we do well, so do our employees and the communities where we live and work; the Iron Range remains a critical part of our future.”
Burritt joined Walz and U.S. Steel Senior Vice President and Chief Manufacturing Officer Scott Buckiso to discuss the company’s commitment to products mined, melted, and made in America. The $150 million investment will expand the company’s existing advantage in low-cost iron ore.
“I’m proud to celebrate U.S. Steel’s major investment in the Northland,” said Governor Walz. “Minnesota’s steel industry is a critical part of our history, culture, and thriving economy – and a critical job creator on the Iron Range. I look forward to the growth this investment will bring to both our regional and statewide economies.”
The facility is expected to be operational in late 2023, with the first pellets produced in 2024.