U.S. Steel to restart second blast furnace at Granite City Works

U.S. Steel will begin the process to restart its second blast furnace at Granite City Works, the company announced late Thursday.

“After several months of carefully analyzing customer demand, we made the decision to restart a blast furnace,” David Burritt, president and CEO of U.S. Steel, said in a statement. “Steel remains a highly competitive and highly cyclical industry, but we are confident in our ability to safely and profitably operate the mill to meet 2026 demand. We look forward to partnering with all stakeholders, including the United Steelworkers and elected officials, to ensure a safe and efficient start-up and to discuss support for Granite City Works.”

The company, now owned by Japanese company Nippon, said it expects to reignite the “B” blast furnace in the first half o