Cleveland-Cliffs Breaks Ground For Great Lakes Region HBI Plant

State and local leaders joined Cleveland-Cliffs executives on April 5, 2018, to celebrate the groundbreaking for construction of its hot briquetted iron (HBI) plant in Toledo, Ohio, USA. The 1.6 million metric tons/year plant, based on MIDREX® NG Process technology, will be one of the world’s most modern and efficient ironmaking production facility when it begins operation in summer 2020. It will provide a domestic source of high quality ore-based metallics for electric arc furnace steelmakers in the Great Lakes region.

Lourenco Goncalves, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cleveland-Cliffs, said, “Today we are launching a new era for the iron and steel industry in the United States. As Cleveland-Cliffs begins the construction of the first hot briquetted iron (HBI) production plant in the Great Lakes region, we are taking the initial steps to enable EAF steelmakers to produce the specs associated with high margin steels for sophisticated end markets, such as automotive and others.”

Mr. Goncalves added: “For several decades, Cleveland-Cliffs has been supplying the American steelmakers in the Great Lakes with customized pellets to feed their blast furnaces. With the growth in participation of EAFs, it was just a matter of time for Cliffs to become a supplier of these important steelmakers. Our HBI will be for the EAFs the same great feedstock our taconite pellets are, and will continue to be, for our blast furnace clients.”

The announcement of the HBI project by Cleveland-Cliffs in 3rd quarter 2017, was applauded by Ohio Governor John R. Kasich, who said, “We’re excited that Cleveland-Cliffs is expanding their presence in Ohio by building the very first hot briquetted iron plant in the Great Lakes region.” He went on to say, “The great work of JobsOhio, their local partners and the Company’s trust in the Toledo workforce will create hundreds of new jobs and greater economic opportunities for families throughout this region.”

JobsOhio President and Chief Investment Officer John Minor greeted the project by saying, “JobsOhio, along with our regional partner RGP, the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority and the City of Toledo are looking forward to supporting Cliffs as they construct this landmark facility that will create 130 permanent jobs and more than 1,200 construction jobs over the next two years.”