Nucor begins work on its West Virginia mill

Nucor Corp., Charlotte, North Carolina, held a groundbreaking event this January at the 1,700-acre site in Apple Grove, West Virginia, that will host its scrap-fed electric arc furnace (EAF) steel sheet mill.

A press release from Germany-based EAF equipment and technology provider SMS Group refers to the planned mill as a “state-of-the-art sheet mill [that] represents the largest manufacturing investment in West Virginia history.”

To commemorate the occasion in a way that fits the record investment, SMS Group says Nucor also held a “record” groundbreaking by having more than “545 dedicated participants” lined up to successfully complete a one-kilometer shovel relay and set a new record worthy of inclusion in the Guinness Book of World Records.

“SMS was proud to be part of this record-breaking groundbreaking ceremony and to support our valued customer Nucor,” the firm says.

“With our circular production method, Nucor Steel West Virginia will produce sustainable sheet steel with some of the lowest embodied carbon in the world,” Leon Topalian, board chair, president and CEO of Nucor remarked at the ceremony.

“We are excited that the advanced capabilities of this mill will expand our ability to provide our customers with the cleanest and highest-quality steel products,” he added.

In addition to Topalian, other speakers and guests attending the event represented Nucor as well as government jurisdictions. According to SMS, they “shared the stage and their vision and views on the new mill and what it means for economic development in West Virginia and for manufacturing in the United States.”

SMS says it will supply equipment to the West Virginia mill consisting of two 210-ton direct current EAFs; two twin-ladle metallurgy furnaces (LMFs); two vacuum tank degassers with oxygen blowing capabilities; and seven transfer cars.

The first melt shop activity at the EAF is currently planned for the first quarter of 2026, according to the vendor.