U.S. Steel has completed a USD 350 mln reline of Blast Furnace #14 at Gary Works in Indiana, returning the furnace to service and securing its long-term ironmaking capability.
The project included replacement of the furnace’s refractory lining and restoration of critical systems supporting safe and reliable operation. Maintenance was also carried out on the furnace gas, cooling water, hoisting and stove systems during the outage.
Blast Furnace #14 is the largest blast furnace at Gary Works and across U.S. Steel’s operating footprint, with annual hot-metal production capacity of more than 2 mln tons. The furnace uses iron ore pellets from U.S. Steel’s Minnesota Ore Operations, supporting the company’s integrated domestic steel supply chain.
The project involved more than 1 mln labor hours, with around 1,000 contractors at the site at peak activity. U.S. Steel said the reline was completed without a lost-time injury.
The reline forms part of U.S. Steel’s broader investment program at Gary Works, where upgrades to the hot strip mill and steelmaking facilities are also aimed at improving capabilities, environmental performance and operational reliability.
Founded in 1901, U.S. Steel operates across the U.S. and Central Europe. Nippon Steel, Japan’s largest steelmaker, completed its USD 14.9 bln acquisition of the company in June 2025.