U.S. Steel’s board approved full funding for a nearly $3 billion hot strip mill at the Edgar Thomson Plant near Pittsburgh.
The project would increase Mon Valley Works’ annual production capacity from about 2.2 million to 3.5 million tons.
Construction is expected to begin after permits are received with the company targeting initial production in late 2029.
According to an Oct. 22 U.S. Steel announcement, the company’s board approved full funding for a nearly $3 billion hot strip mill at its Edgar Thomson Plant in Braddock, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh. The project would replace aging equipment at Mon Valley Works and increase annual production capacity by about 1.3 million tons.
The approval is a funding milestone, not a construction start. U.S. Steel said work will begin after it receives the necessary permits.
Initial production is expected in late 2029, leaving regulatory approvals and construction between the board decision and the first output from the new line.
An image of the US Steel Mon Valley Works - Edgar Thompson Steel Works plant in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Image: Shutterstock
A hot strip mill rolls steel slabs into thin coils used in products including construction materials, vehicles and appliances, according to U.S. Steel.
The company said the new facility would raise annual production capacity at Mon Valley Works from approximately 2.2 million tons to approximately 3.5 million tons and expand the types of steel the operation can make.
The increased capacity is a facility-level figure. The announcement did not specify how much of the mill’s output would go to construction products, name customers or provide a product-by-product breakdown. It also did not identify a general contractor or disclose a construction schedule beyond the expected start after permitting and the late-2029 production target.
The company said the investment would modernize equipment at the Edgar Thomson Plant.
A separate June 8 U.S. Steel announcement described the broader modernization plan as including a new mill at Edgar Thomson and the replacement of an 87-year-old hot strip mill at the nearby Irvin Plant. The October funding approval did not provide a new decommissioning schedule for Irvin.
U.S. Steel said the mill would include walking-beam furnaces and an in-line slab-sizing press. The company said the equipment is designed to improve efficiency from reheating through rolling, reduce fuel use and scrap, and eliminate a cutting step.
The board’s approval converts the nearly $3 billion plan into a fully funded investment, according to the company. U.S. Steel did not break out spending by construction phase or identify the expected value of equipment packages, site work or other contracts.
Permitting is the next stated step. U.S. Steel said it continues to engage with regulators and will begin construction after receiving the necessary permits. The company did not list the specific permits or give a date for their expected approval in its Oct. 22 announcement.
Initial production is targeted for late 2029. That is a company forecast, not a guaranteed opening date. The US Steel release did not provide intermediate milestones for engineering, site preparation, equipment installation or commissioning.
The project remains subject to regulatory review and construction execution.
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