U.S. Steel begins construction on $1.9 billion direct reduced iron plant in Arkansas

U.S. Steel has broken ground on a US$1.9 billion direct reduced iron (DRI) facility at its Big River Steel Works in Osceola, Arkansas.

Connecting Minnesota iron ore mining with Arkansas electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking, the plant will generate 200 full-time positions and 2,000 peak construction jobs. Construction starts in late 2026.

Located adjacent to Big River 2, the facility will feed hot DRI straight into EAFs, supplying low-emission steel to the automotive, appliance and solar sectors. DRI serves as a cost-competitive scrap replacement and can form hot briquetted iron for transport. The addition expands the campus, which houses Big River Steel and Big River 2, to four EAFs producing over 6 million tons of steel annually.