Nucor receives final permit to build Mason County steel mill

Nucor Corp. has received the final permit it needs to begin construction of its $3.1 billion steel mill at the Mason County, West Virginia, community of Apple Grove.

U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., was the first to announce via news release on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had issued the permit. It was later confirmed by a statement issued by Nucor.

The permit allows Nucor to build a large barge loading and unloading dock on the Ohio River about 2 miles below the Robert C. Byrd Locks and Dam. The dock will allow scrap metal and other raw materials to be delivered to the plant and finished products to be shipped by river to customers or to processing facilities.

”With this final permit in hand, we will begin commencing construction immediately, and expect it will take approximately two years to complete. In the near future, we will be announcing details of a formal groundbreaking ceremony at the site,” Nucor said in its statement.

Leon Topalian, Nucor’s chair, CEO and president, said, “We are extremely excited to move forward with the construction of this state-of-the-art sheet mill in West Virginia. With its low carbon footprint and advanced steelmaking capabilities, Nucor Steel West Virginia will be a leader in producing clean, high-quality steel for a range of end-use markets.”

He added, “We are pleased to create hundreds of new, high-paying jobs, and position West Virginia as a leader in clean steel production. Thank you to all our West Virginia federal, state, and local officials for their unwavering support of this project.”

U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said it was great to hear Nucor had received its permit.

"I worked with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers leadership to move this permit forward and make sure this huge economic win for West Virginia remains on track. Now we stand ready to assist with workforce and any other issues, but look forward to this steel mill being up and running as soon as possible,” she said in an emailed statement.

The mill is to be built on a large flat area between the river and West Virginia 2 about 28 miles north of downtown Huntington. Some land on the other side of W.Va. 2 has been purchased by Nucor for support activities, and Appalachian Power is to build a new substation in that area to support Nucor’s electricity needs for its arc furnaces.

When operational, the new mill will have the capacity to produce up to three million tons of sheet steel per year. It will be equipped to produce 84-inch sheet products, and among other features, will include a 76-inch tandem cold mill and two galvanizing lines capable of producing advanced high-end automotive and construction grades. The new mill will employ as many as 2,000 construction workers during the building phase and approximately 800 full-time teammates when it is fully operational, according to Nucor.

In his statement, Manchin said, “I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it: there truly is no better place to do business than West Virginia. The approval for this final permit is great news for Nucor Steel and our state, and I can’t wait to see the benefits this new facility will bring to West Virginia.”

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