Cleveland-Cliffs will invest USD 1 bln to modernize its Middletown Works steel plant in Ohio, with the US Department of Energy (DOE) providing USD 500 mln through a rescope of its previously awarded grant.
The investment will be deployed over the next four years while maintaining steel production. It includes upgrades to the blast furnace, advanced material handling infrastructure and AI-enabled process control technologies.
A key part of the project is a new cogeneration facility that will use blast furnace gas to generate electricity and steam for onsite consumption. The project is expected to improve energy efficiency, reduce reliance on external power and lower operating costs.
Construction is expected to begin in the coming weeks, with completion of the blast furnace rebuild targeted for the first quarter of 2030. The project is expected to preserve Middletown Works’ annual raw steel capacity of around 3 mln tons and support approximately 2,300 jobs.
Cleveland-Cliffs said the investment will improve operational reliability, productivity, energy efficiency and cost competitiveness while maintaining the plant’s ability to produce automotive-grade sheet steel.
Cleveland-Cliffs is the largest flat-rolled steel producer in North America, operating an integrated network of iron ore mines, pellet plants, blast furnaces, electric arc furnaces and finishing facilities across the United States. The company is also the only domestic producer of grain-oriented electrical steel, supplying the energy, automotive, infrastructure and defense sectors.