Swedish steel-maker studies Iowa expansion

Company acquired plant with IPSCO purchase

By George C. Ford, The Gazette

A Swedish company is studying an expansion of its high-strength steel plate and strip mill in the Muscatine County town of Montpelier.

The potential expansion of the SSAB Americas plant would increase melting and casting capabilities by up to 1.2 million tons.

That would roughly represent an additional 800,000 tons per year of finished product along with 400,000 tons of melting capacity to be transferred as slab to SSAB's mobile facility for rolling and finishing.

Svenskt Staal AB, corporate parent of SSAB Americas, has entered into an agreement with an engineering firm to undertake a study to identify the requirements related to expansion. The project would result in the Montpelier facility increasing its capacity to as much as 2.1 million finished tons per year.

The engineering study will cover equipment specifications and requirements and infrastructure needs, including power and transportation, permitting and compliance requirements and investment incentives and opportunities. The preliminary study is expected to be completed next month.

'SSAB Americas is constantly reviewing opportunities to continue to grow in the plate market throughout the Americas and to support the growing needs of our customers,” said Jeff Moskaluk, chief commercial officer of SSAB Americas in a news release. 'The Montpelier expansion is expected to support growth in both rolled plate and heat-treated plate products.”

Svenskt Staal AB acquired the Montpelier plant when it bought IPSCO Steel in 2007. With the acquisition, the Swedish company became North America's biggest manufacturer of steel plate.

l Comments: (319) 398-8366; george.ford@sourcemedia.net