Cleveland-Cliffs Burns Harbor steel plant

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Cleveland-Cliffs Burns Harbor steel plant, also known as Burns Harbor, ArcelorMittal Burns Harbor steel plant (predecessor), ArcelorMittal - Bethlehem Steel, is a steel plant in Burns Harbor, Indiana, United States that operates blast furnace (BF) and basic oxygen furnace (BOF) technology.

Location

The map below shows the exact location of the plant in Burns Harbor, Indiana, United States:

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  • Location: 250 W. U.S. Highway 12, Burns Harbor, IN 46304-9745, United States
  • Coordinates (WGS 84): 41.631221, -87.143846 (exact)

Background

The Burns Harbor steel plant was built by the Bethlehem Steel group and began operating in 1964 as one of the largest integrated steel plants in the United States. It relied on the Port of Indiana to import raw materials. In 2003, Bethlehem Steel was bought by ISG for $1.5 billion in 2003. In 2007, ArcelorMittal acquired ISG (and the plant) for $4.5 billion.[1][2] The facility was then bought in 2020 by Cleveland Cliffs in a $1.4 billion deal with ArcelorMittal.[3]

Environmental Compliance

Burns Harbor has had a long track record of environmental damage. During construction, Bethlehem Steel leveled several ecologically important sand dunes conservationists were attempting to protect (which later became the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore).[4]

In 2018, the facility was named the "largest source of industrial lead pollution" in the country after emitting nearly 18,000 pounds of lead and 173,000 pounds of benzene in 2016.[4]

In August 2019, the facility had to use Lake Michigan water for its blast furnace gas air scrubbers after a pump failure in the plant's blast furnace water recycling system. Since the pumps were not functioning, the facility ended up discharging many more millions of gallons of untreatable water which flowed to the East Arm of the Little Calumet River. The water contained cyanide and ammonia-nitrogen which exceeded its NPDES permit limit; an estimated 3,000 fish died in the Little Calumet River due to this incident, and nearby beaches and a drinking water intake facility had to be closed. The blast furnace pumps stopped operating for several days.[5] It is unclear if the steel plant was fined for this breach.

In 2020, the Environmental Law and Policy Center found that Burns Harbor had violated its Clean Water Act permit over a hundred times in the past four years and filed a lean Water Act enforcement lawsuit against the facility.[6]

In December 2020, state inspectors discovered that the plant had violated several environmental regulations by inaccurately self-monitoring their data, including storing their effluent samples at non-definitive temperatures that could change sample testing results.[3]

Worker Safety

In July 2020, an explosion damaged one of the blast furnaces at Cleveland-Cliffs Burns Harbor steel plant (formerly ArcelorMittal Burns Harbor), and sent molten material out of the plant building, before setting it ablaze.[7] No employees were killed or injured in the explosion.[7] A video posted to social media showed that "the explosion at Blast Furnace D showered the mill with the shrapnel of large chunks of burning hot white refractory, the interior lining that protects the blast furnace shell from the super-heated temperatures within during the steelmaking process, suggesting that significant damage occurred."[8]

In November 2021 there was another explosion at the slag pit of the plant. Nobody was injured. [9]

Plant Details

Table 1: General Plant Details

Start date Workforce size
1964[10] 4039[11]

Table 2: Ownership and Parent Company Information

Parent company Parent company PermID Parent company GEM ID Owner Owner company PermID Owner company GEM ID
Cleveland-Cliffs Inc 4295903753 E100001000649 Cleveland-Cliffs Inc[11] 4295903753 E100001000649

Table 3: Process and Products

Steel product category Steel products Steel sector end users ISO 14001 Main production equipment
finished rolled[11] sheet, hot rolled, cold rolled, coated, slab[11][12] automotive, building and infrastructure, energy, steel packaging, tools and machinery, transport[11] 2022[13] BF; BOF

Table 4: Plant-level Crude Steel Production Capacities (thousand tonnes per annum)

1Please see our Frequently Asked Questions page for an explanation of the different capacity operating statuses.
Capacity operating status1 Basic oxygen furnace steelmaking capacity Nominal crude steel capacity (total)
operating 5001[11] 5001[11]

Table 5: Plant-level Crude Iron Production Capacities (thousand tonnes per annum)

1Please see our Frequently Asked Questions page for an explanation of the different capacity operating statuses.
Capacity operating status1 Blast furnace capacity Nominal iron capacity (total)
operating 4960[14] 4960[14]

Table 6: Upstream Products Production Capacities (thousand tonnes per annum)

Sinter Coke
2800[15] 1877[11][16]

Table 7: Actual Plant-level Crude Steel Production by Year (thousand tonnes per annum)

Year BOF production Total (all routes)
2019 4200[17] 4200[17]
2020 3600[18] 3600[18]
2021 3364[19] 3364[19]
2022 3626[20] 3626[20]
2023 4100[21] 4100[21]

Table 8: Actual Plant-level Crude Iron Production by Year (thousand tonnes per annum)

Year BF production Total (all routes)
2019 3781[22] 3781[23]
2020 3584[24] 3584[25]
2021 3636[26] 3636[27]
2022 3300[28] 3300[29]
2023 4000[30] 4000[30]

Unit Details

Table 9: Blast Furnace Details

Unit name Status Start date Current size Current capacity (ttpa) Decarbonization technology Most recent relining
BF C operating[31] 1972[32] 2645.0[33] 2480[14] In 2020 funded design for a system to capture 50 to 70% of the CO2 emissions. Recently completed its first phase of research in carbon capture at the plan and is requesting more government funding to support further advancements.[34][35] 2007-05[36]
BF D operating[31] 1969[32] 2645.0[33] 2480[14] *** Jan 2025 update ***

- No updates on whether the FEED was conducted. The last news is from Dec 7, 2022. The Company’s Burns Harbor project aims to capture up to 2.8 million tons of CO2 per year from blast furnace gas with a net carbon capture efficiency of at least 95%. See: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221207005491/en

In 2020 funded design for a system to capture 50 to 70% of the CO2 emissions. Recently completed its first phase of research in carbon capture at the plan and is requesting more government funding to support further advancements.[34][35]

2008[37]

Table 10: Basic Oxygen Furnace Details

Unit name Status Start date Current capacity (ttpa) Current size
unknown BOF (1) operating[38] 1969[38] 1667[11] 255.0 m3[38]
unknown BOF (2) operating[38] 1969[38] 1667[11] 255.0 m3[38]
unknown BOF (3) operating[38] 1969[38] 1667[11]

Articles and Resources

Additional data

To access additional data, including an interactive map of steel power plants, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Iron and Steel Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.

References

  1. IHB (2020-12-16). "Legacy of Steel / Burns Harbor Steel Plant". IHB. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  2. "The Center for Land Use Interpretation". clui.org. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Violations Continued at Burns Harbor Steel Mill During Last Days of ArcelorMittal Ownership". Indiana Environmental Reporter. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Hawthorne, Michael (2018-08-01). "Indiana steel mill emits 18,000 pounds of lead a year. Is it blowing toward Chicago?". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2021-10-20.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. US EPA, REG 05 (2019-10-31). "Cleveland Cliffs LLC, Burns Harbor (formerly ArcelorMittal Burns Harbor), Portage, Indiana". www.epa.gov. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  6. "Suing Lake Michigan Polluter in Burns Harbor". Environmental Law & Policy Center. 2020-04-06. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  7. 7.0 7.1 Blast at ArcelorMittal Burns Harbor idles furnace, Rye Druzin, Argus Media, Jul. 16, 2020, Retrieved on: Aug. 6, 2020
  8. Explosion hits ArcelorMittal's Burns Harbor plant; official says stove dome failure to blame, Lauren Cross and Joseph S. Pete, Jul. 16, 2020, Updated Aug. 5, 2020, Retrieved on: Aug. 6, 2020
  9. "Explosion at Steel Plant Slag Pit, Cleveland-Cliffs, Burns Harbor, Indiana". Cardinal News. 2021-11-30. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
  10. https://web.archive.org/web/20220702075527/https://www.in.gov/history/state-historical-markers/find-a-marker/find-historical-markers-by-county/indiana-historical-markers-by-county/legacy-of-steel-burns-harbor-steel-plant/. Archived from the original on 2022-07-02. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  11. 11.00 11.01 11.02 11.03 11.04 11.05 11.06 11.07 11.08 11.09 11.10 https://web.archive.org/web/20211201011843/https://www.clevelandcliffs.com/operations/steelmaking/burns-harbor. Archived from the original on 2021-12-01. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  12. (PDF) https://www.clevelandcliffs.com/investors/sec-filings/all-sec-filings/content/0000764065-24-000038/0000764065-24-000038.pdf. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  13. https://web.archive.org/web/20220206003320/https://www.clevelandcliffs.com/sustainability/environment/certifications. Archived from the original on 2022-02-06. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 https://www.argusmedia.com/zh/news/2123892-blast-at-arcelormittal-burns-harbor-idles-furnace?amp=1. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  15. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20220129213612/https://d1io3yog0oux5.cloudfront.net/_3bdd359b62bd1ceda7299186db0c5b1b/clevelandcliffs/db/1188/10347/file/CLF_2020_AnnualReport.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-01-29. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  16. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20221130215256/https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-12/documents/ironsteel.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-11-30. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  17. 17.0 17.1 "Fact Book 2019" (PDF). ArcelorMittal. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-11-03.
  18. 18.0 18.1 (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20220129220418/https://corporate-media.arcelormittal.com/media/kl3iewkk/fact-book-2020.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-01-29. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  19. 19.0 19.1 (PDF) https://d1io3yog0oux5.cloudfront.net/_ec8d6dfae8d64afee055b64f5ad2abef/clevelandcliffs/db/1188/11225/file/CLF_2021_AnnualReport.pdf. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  20. 20.0 20.1 (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20240229041812/https://d1io3yog0oux5.cloudfront.net/_3b13d73bc2bef8e3abc4d6196a66e857/clevelandcliffs/db/1188/11492/file/CLF_AnnualReport_2022_04032023.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2024-02-29. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  21. 21.0 21.1 (PDF) https://www.clevelandcliffs.com/investors/sec-filings/annual-reports/content/0000764065-24-000094/0000764065-24-000094.pdf. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  22. AIST_BF_2020
  23. AIST_BF_2020
  24. AIST_BF_2021
  25. AIST_BF_2021
  26. AIST_BF_2022
  27. AIST_BF_2022
  28. AIST_BF_2023
  29. AIST_BF_2023
  30. 30.0 30.1 https://imis.aist.org/store/detail.aspx?id=PR-RU2024-5. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  31. 31.0 31.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20230627153540/http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/business/cleveland-cliffs-to-reline-blast-furnace-in-2025/article_25131a98-ffdf-11ed-8393-7f5bd7ca2248.html. Archived from the original on 2023-06-27. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  32. 32.0 32.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20220812091251/https://www.viktormacha.com/galerie/arcelormittal-burns-harbor-indiana-297/. Archived from the original on 2022-08-12. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  33. 33.0 33.1 https://www.clevelandcliffs.com/operations/steelmaking/burns-harbor;AIST_BOF_2022;AIST_COKE_2022;AIST_BF_2022. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  34. 34.0 34.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20221213113932/https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221207005491/en/Cleveland-Cliffs-Submits-Application-for-Front-End-Engineering-Design-for-Large-Scale-Carbon-Capture. Archived from the original on 2022-12-13. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  35. 35.0 35.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20220512080415/https://www.clevelandcliffs.com/sustainability/environment/energy. Archived from the original on 2022-05-12. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  36. https://web.archive.org/web/20240913171611/https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https:%252F%252Fwww.nwitimes.com%252Fbusiness%252Flocal%252Frepairs-at-mittal-furnace-begin%252Farticle_eafe83c7-a088-563b-a90f-21e70451d066.html. Archived from the original on 2024-09-13. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  37. https://www.graycor.com/projects/d-blast-furnace-reline https://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/troubled-blast-furnace-to-be-relined/article_b70d2305-2995-5b29-978e-2b745374510c.html, https://www.graycor.com/projects/d-blast-furnace-reline. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help); Missing or empty |title= (help)
  38. 38.0 38.1 38.2 38.3 38.4 38.5 38.6 38.7 https://imis.aist.org/store/detail.aspx?id=PR-RU2024-1. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)

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