It is reported that Essar Steel Minnesota is another step closer to becoming the first finished steel producing operation on the Iron Range.

The company's first steel shipment arrived at 9:00 AM local time on November 7th 2011 at the plant site in Nashwauk.

Six semi trailers carried at total of 120 tonnes of steel beams from Baltimore, where it arrived on November 6th 2011. The steel beams will be used to begin erecting the mobile equipment shop that will be used to maintain large mining equipment and haul trucks.

The first steel erected for the pellet plant warehouse was made in the United States. The company is currently permitted to produce 4.1 million tonnes of pellets per year and is in the final stages of obtaining permits to increase that to 7.1 million tonnes a year.

By 2013, Essar steel will have committed USD 1.6 billion toward its project.

(Sourced from www.northlandsnewscenter.com)