The company will use Minnesota Ore DR rollers

American steel producer US Steel plans to add a new direct reduced iron (DRI) plant to the Big River Steel complex in Arkansas, according to Talk Business & Politics.

Details, including the cost of the project and its implementation schedule, will be announced later.

“The new DRI plant at the Big River Steel Works in Arkansas will position our mini-mill segment as a leader in advanced and sustainable steel production,” US Steel spokeswoman Amanda Malkowski told the publication.

She added that this will strengthen US Steel’s advantage in the raw materials sector and domestic supply chain. The investment underscores the partnership with Nippon Steel.

The DRI plant in Arkansas will use DR pellets from Minnesota Ore and produce DRI raw materials for electric arc furnaces.

US Steel recently announced that it is launching a multi-year growth plan in partnership with Nippon Steel. As CEO Dave Barrett noted, in just a few months of partnership with the Japanese steel manufacturer, the parties are making significant progress. US Steel has a strong portfolio of growth projects, ranging from the modernization of the hot rolling mill at Gary Works to a new slag processor at Mon Valley Works and the development of new production capacity.

Nippon Steel acquired US Steel for more than $14 billion in June this year, ending a months-long battle for the takeover.