A North American iron‑making company has launched a dual‑capacity project, establishing a closed-loop system for iron ore recycling and pig iron production.

A North American iron‑making company has launched a dual‑capacity project, establishing a closed-loop system for iron ore recycling and pig iron production.

　　Against the backdrop of the U.S. industry’s efforts to strengthen domestic supply chains for steelmaking raw materials and reduce reliance on foreign imports, North American Iron, a North American iron ore and pig iron producer, has successfully closed a new round of financing, laying a solid financial foundation for advancing its integrated iron ore recycling and pig iron production project. This funding round was jointly secured by the company, its parent firm Scranton Holding Company, and its partner iron‑ore concentrate producer Calumet Reclamation Company. The proceeds were officially received on June 28 and will fully support the circular utilization of domestic U.S. iron ore resources and the development of high‑purity pig iron production lines.

　　According to the company’s latest plan, the integrated project now receiving additional funding will establish a fully integrated production capacity system that links upstream and downstream operations, with two core production segments. Leveraging a resource‑recovery model for existing mine‑site assets, the partner Calumet Reclamation will build processing capacity to produce 4 million tonnes per year of iron concentrate, reclaiming and treating legacy iron‑ore reserves and tailings from aging mines in Minnesota. The high‑quality raw materials thus recovered will be transported by rail across state lines to the company’s production base in Minot, North Dakota, where they will be used for the smelting of ultra‑high‑purity pig iron, ultimately establishing a core production capacity of 2 million tonnes per year of such pig iron and achieving the circular, resource‑efficient reuse of previously discarded iron‑ore resources.

　　The implementation of this project precisely addresses the current supply-chain challenges facing the U.S. steel industry. At present, the U.S. commercial pig iron supply is heavily reliant on overseas imports, with Brazil and Ukraine serving as the primary sources. As a result, the supply chain is highly vulnerable to international geopolitical dynamics, shipping volatility, and fluctuations in global production capacity, leaving the domestic steel value chain with insufficient raw-material security and stability. This newly built integrated project focuses on revitalizing local tailings and existing iron‑ore reserves, enabling in‑situ processing of raw materials and pig iron smelting. It will provide the U.S. electric‑arc furnace steel sector with a stable, controllable, domestically sourced ferrous feedstock over the long term, effectively addressing the shortfall in local raw‑material supply and strengthening the resilience of the steel industry’s supply chain.

　　The project’s overall implementation timeline is well-defined, with all preliminary preparatory work progressing smoothly. At this stage, early‑stage activities such as engineering design and detailed planning have been fully launched, and the necessary construction and operational permits are expected to be obtained in a concentrated manner during the second half of 2026. Beyond its production capacity, the project will also generate significant regional economic and employment spillover effects: once the Minot pig iron production base in North Dakota is completed and commissioned, it will directly create approximately 650 jobs and contribute over USD 1 billion in incremental economic value, thereby supporting the upgrading of the local industrial economy.

　　From the perspective of project location and resource endowment, the integrated production system achieves an optimal allocation of resources and capacity. At the upstream raw-materials stage, the focus is on the Iron Range mining district in Minnesota, with particular emphasis on repurposing the legacy tailings and existing iron‑ore reserves from the Hill Annex Mine, which operated from 1913 to 1978, thereby revitalizing century‑old idle mining assets. At the downstream production stage, the facility is situated in Minot, North Dakota, where a modern pig‑iron smelting plant has been established on 2,400 acres of contiguous industrial land, benefiting from superior site conditions that are well suited to large‑scale production and operations.

　　On the front of green production, the project aligns with low‑carbon development principles by phasing out traditional high‑carbon smelting processes and adopting the internationally advanced Tenova HYL hydrogen‑based production technology, thereby significantly reducing carbon emissions in the pig iron smelting stage. Once fully commissioned, the high‑purity pig iron produced will be widely used in key sectors such as U.S. electric‑arc furnace steelmaking, infrastructure projects, energy‑related equipment, and defense manufacturing, further strengthening the domestic green steel‑raw‑material supply chain and supporting the North American steel industry’s transition toward lower carbon intensity and greater self‑reliance.