U.S. Steel announced the permanent closure of it’s Hamilton, Canada based iron and steel making facilities.
The former Steel Company of Canada (STELCO), founded in 1910, once employed more than 14000 people on the banks of the Lake Ontario.
The plant was bought by U.S. Steel in 2007 and partly idled in 2010.
Only some hot rolling and coke making activities will be continued.
Further images at Stahlseite.
Tag Archives: U.S. Steel
The Last Open Hearth In The U.S.
© Chris Dunker (Dunker Imaging)
was closed down in December 1991 at Geneva Steel in Utah. The end of an era for a nation that, in 1970, still produced nearly 40% of it’s raw steel out of open hearth furnaces.
The Geneva OH-shop contained ten 340 ton furnaces first tapped in 1944 and upgraded in between 1957 and 1964.
They were replaced by two 225 ton Q-BOF vessels originally installed at Republic Steel’s (later LTV Steel) South Chicago works in 1991.
For an unknown reason the Geneva Steel company, the successor of U.S. Steel, left the open hearth shop standing until they finally went bancrupt in 2002 and the mill was dismantled in 2004.
Large portions of the mill (caster, plate and strip rolling mill) were sold to Chinese steel maker Qindago Steel.
In 2004 Chris Dunker was allowed to document the demolition of the mill with his camera.
Part of the work can be seen in his book: “Dismantling Geneva Steel”.
Vintage Image #4
Rolling mill drive at U.S. Steel’s 14″ mill in Clairton, Pennsylvania.
The 7,3 meter pulley is remarkable.
Steel production at the Clairton plant ceased in 1984. Today only the coking plant is still active.