The SMS group is currently building an integrated, environment-friendly plant complex for high-grade steel products and specialty steels in the US on the site of recently founded steel producer Big River Steel. The annual capacity of the works will initially amount to 1.5M tons, with the provision to be increased to 3M tons in a second construction phase. Altogether, Big River Steel will be investing around USD 1.3B in the new works located in the state of Arkansas.
Photo courtesy of SMS group
Meanwhile, a delegation of representatives of the plant operator, investors and future customers of Big River Steel already produced the works’ first steel during a visit to the SMS group in Germany as part of a plant simulation. In the SMS Test Center, experts of the SMS group have set up major components of the automation systems, complete with fully functional control cabinets, computers, control desks and the steelworks’ software. This allows them to thoroughly test these components in near-reality simulations and train the operators well ahead of the installation on site. Besides the Test Center, the delegation also visited the SMS group‘s manufacturing facilities in Hilchenbach, where the quality-critical components for this large-scale project are being manufactured.
