Steel Needs Drive Looming U.S. Metals & Minerals Maintenance

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Written by Will Ploch, Assistant Editor-in-Chief for IIR News Intelligence (Sugar Land, Texas)

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Summary

Steel manufacturers and downstream metal processors lead in spending on maintenance-related projects in the U.S. Metals & Minerals Industry that are set to kick off in the fourth quarter.

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Steel Manufacturers Lead in Investments

A wide range of maintenance programs set to begin across the U.S. Metals & Minerals Industry in the coming months reflect the industry's multi-faceted nature. Industrial Info Resources is tracking more than 120 maintenance-related projects industrywide that are set to kick off in the fourth quarter, with the steel-manufacturing and downstream metal-processing sectors accounting for more than half of the total investment value.

According to Industrial Info Resources data, Metallus Incorporated accounts for the most investment in a single maintenance-related project of any company. The steel manufacturer is preparing for a one-week shutdown at its Faircrest Steel Mill in Canton, Ohio, which will include regular inspections and repairs to the 1 million-melt-ton-per-year facility.

The U.S. automotive sector is one of the biggest customers for the Faircrest plant. Buyers of its product include The Timken Company, which was Metallus' parent company until is spun off in 2014. Michael Williams, the chief executive officer of Metallus, said in a recent quarterly earnings-related conference all that "auto shipments during the second quarter grew 12% sequentially and 8% year-over-year," boosting Faircrest's bottom line.

Industrial Info Resources offers more information on the Faircrest shutdown in its Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Metals & Minerals Plant and Project databases, where readers can find details--including construction schedules, investment values and necessary equipment--in a plant profile and project report.

Other major steel manufacturers with maintenance projects set to begin before the end of the year include Steel Dynamics Incorporated and Nippon Steel Corporation, the parent company of United States Steel Corporation. Steel Dynamics is preparing for seven-to-10-day shutdowns at its mill in Roanoke, Virginia, which produces 700,000 tons per year of carbon steel billets, and its mill in Columbus, Mississippi, which produces 3.4 million tons per year of hot-rolled steel.

Nippon, meanwhile, is preparing for shutdowns on both minimills at its Big River Steel plant in Osceola, Arkansas, which has a total output of 3.3 million tons per year. Readers can learn more from detailed profiles of the Roanoke, Columbus and Osceola plants, and project reports on the Roanoke, Columbus, Big River 1 and Big River 2 shutdowns.

By the Numbers

• More than 120: Maintenance projects in the U.S. Metals & Minerals Industry set to begin in the fourth quarter
• 1 million melt tons per year: Capacity at steel plant with single highest-valued maintenance shutdown looming
• Seven to 10 days: Most common length of related shutdowns at industrial facilities

Aluminum, Glass Also Set for Upkeep

In the downstream market for the rolling, processing, finishing and fabrication of metals, Norwegian company Norsk Hydro ASA, which operates in the U.S. through subsidiaries Hydro North America and Hydro Extrusions, leads in total investment value for fourth-quarter maintenance kickoffs. It also accounts for more investment in maintenance kickoffs over the same period for any company in the U.S. Metals & Minerals Industry.

Two of Norsk's projects are found in Indiana, where the company molds specialized aluminum profiles at its aluminum-extrusion plants in Connersville and Elkhart. The shutdowns in November and December, respectively, are set to run from seven to 10 days. Readers can learn more from detailed profiles of the Connersville and Elkhart plants, and project reports on the Connersville and Elkhart shutdowns.

The Industrial Info Resources GMI Project and Plant databases offer a full list of detailed reports for projects mentioned in this article, and a full list of related plant profiles.

Industrial Info Resources also offers a full list of reports for maintenance-related projects across the U.S. Metals & Minerals Industry that are set to kick off in the fourth quarter.

Key Takeaways

• Steel manufacturers and downstream metal processors lead fourth-quarter maintenance spending in the U.S. Metals & Minerals Industry.
• Metallus accounts for the most investment in a single maintenance-related project of any company.
• Other players in the industry are preparing for maintenance-related shutdowns, such as glass bottle manufacturers.

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About Industrial Info Resources
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news, and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing, and energy-related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified, and verified plant and project opportunities. Across the world, Industrial Info Resources is tracking over 250,000 current and future projects worth $30.2 trillion (USD).