Hybar LLC, a U.S. steel producer, is adding a second continuous minimill at its Osceola, Arkansas, operation that will integrate electric arc furnace (EAF) melting, ladle refining, continuous casting, induction equalization, and rolling to increase reinforcing bar production by 630,000 short tons annually.
SMS group will supply the CMT® 550 mill, which will be installed alongside Hybar’s existing CMT® 550 operation, creating a twin-mill configuration that will share existing site infrastructure. Groundbreaking is expected in late 2026, with startup scheduled approximately 24 months later.
The meltshop will feature an EAF based on SMS group’s EDGE DC design platform and a twin ladle furnace station. An X-Pact AURA electrical power system will supply the melting unit, which is designed for production rates exceeding 80 tons per hour.
The mill will connect steelmaking, casting, and rolling in a continuous production process. A high-speed, single-strand endless caster will connect the meltshop to the rolling mill through an induction equalization furnace, reducing the need for conventional fossil-fuel-fired reheating between casting and rolling.
The new facility will produce reinforcing bars ranging from 12.4 to 35 millimeters and will include provisions for future installation of vertical compact coiling technology. The rolling mill will include 14 housing-less stands and a six-pass high-speed finishing block, as well as laser measurement equipment for dimensional verification and process control.
The project will also incorporate plant-wide acquisition of real-time production data. The information will feed a digital platform designed to support equipment monitoring, operational analysis, and machine-learning models.
The second mill will use infrastructure associated with Hybar’s existing operation, including access to the site’s 105-megawatt solar installation and 160-megawatt-hour battery storage system. The configuration is intended to reduce energy us and emissions compared with conventional minimill production.
“Building on the success of our first CMT® 550 mill at Hybar’s Osceola site to produce long products, we see huge potential to expand our capacities here at Osceola by combining logistics and labor expertise already on-site with this CMT® twin solution,” said David Stickler, CEO of Hybar. “This enables us to effectively respond to the increasing demand for green long production by taking advantage of shared utility costs.”
Press release is available in its original form here.
