Pittsburgh Steeler invests $1.9B in Big River complex; total investment since 2020 acquisition nearing $10 billion

By the Arkansas Delta Informer Staff

April 29, 2026 – Arkansas has garnered another significant economic development win in the state’s Steel Corridor, as the nation’s most iconic steel producer has boosted its total investment in the sprawling Big River complex over the past decade.

Pittsburgh, Penn.-based U.S. Steel Corp. today (Wednesday, April 23) announced a $1.9 billion investment to build a new direct reduced iron (DRI) facility at Big River Steel Works in Osceola, the first of its kind in the United States.

The iconic Pittsburgh steeler, founded in 1901 by financier J.P. Morgan, said the investment in the massive steel mill on the banks of the Mississippi River strengthens the company’s next-generation steelmaking capabilities and reinforces its position as a leader in modern, efficient steelmaking.

The new DRI facility in northeast Arkansas will leverage U.S. Steel’s 2022 investment in direct-reduced-grade pellet capabilities at U.S. Steel’s Keetac plant in Minnesota, creating a seamless link among the company’s mining operations, feedstock, and steel production at Big River Steel Works.

Critically, by sitting DRI production at Big River Steel Works, where the more than $3 billion Big River 2 expansion is now in full production and there are four electric arc furnaces (EAF), this investment will eliminate the need to ship DRI to the facility and builds in a competitive sourcing advantage for Big River’s feedstock.

“From iron ore in Minnesota to steel production in Arkansas, this $1.9 billion investment strengthens our ability to create steel that is truly mined, melted, made in America, from start to finish,” said U. S. Steel President and CEO David B. Burritt. “By vertically integrating DRI production directly at Big River Steel Works, we enhance efficiency, secure our competitive advantage, and position U. S. Steel for long term success.”

As noted, DRI feedstock is a fast-growing commodity in the steel industry because it enables more efficient and cleaner electric arc furnace steelmaking. Also known as sponge iron, is an ore-based metallic produced by removing oxygen from iron ore in the solid state without melting it.

DRI is a key feedstock for Big River’s electric arc furnaces (EAFs), offering a cleaner alternative to traditional black furnace ironmaking. Burritt said U.S. Steel’s partnership with Japan-based Nippon Steel “helped accelerate this investment years sooner than would have otherwise been possible.”

Exactly a year ago, President Trump approved Nippon Steel’s controversial $14.9 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel, which had been previously blocked by the Biden administration over national security concerns. Since then, the Japanese steel giant has pledged billions of dollars in new investments in the U.S., including an expansion of the Big River Steel project in Mississippi County.

According to company officials, U.S. Steel has already invested $7 billion in Arkansas at the large industrial complex near the Mississippi River, including Big River Steel 1, which it acquired in 2021, and the Big River 2 plant it built last year. Overall, the two steel mills have a combined production capacity of 6 billion tons.

U.S. Steel officials said the recent investments by Nippon will advance vertical integration across the company’s operations under a single, integrated American supply chain, improving efficiency, quality, and supply chain control. It will also enhance the company’s ability to deliver consistent, high-quality steel to its customers more reliably.

“Our partnership with Nippon Steel helped accelerate this investment years sooner than would have otherwise been possible,” said Burritt.

This project is expected to support approximately 200 full-time Big River Steel Works employees and 35 full-time embedded contractor roles, while creating an estimated 2,000 construction jobs at peak.

Originally, Big River Steel broke ground on its initial $1.2 billion facility in September 2014. The company received $125 million in general obligation bonds under the state’s Amendment 82 provision that allows for so-called “super projects.” When it was first announced, it was the largest industrial project in Arkansas history, promising 500 new jobs for blue-collar workers, with an average annual salary of over $100,000.

In 2019, Big River Steel announced a $1.2 billion expansion at its scrap-recycling and steel-production facility in Osceola. That expansion doubled the Mississippi County mill’s hot-rolled steel production capacity to 3.3 million tons annually, increasing the company’s ability to produce higher grades of electrical steel for hybrid and electric vehicle manufacturing.

In late 2019, publicly traded U.S. Steel took the first step toward acquiring privately held Big River Steel by purchasing a 49.9% ownership stake for $700 million in cash, along with a call option to acquire the remaining 50.1% over the next four years. A year later, U.S. Steel acquired the remaining equity stake in Big River for approximately $774 million.

The latest U.S. Steel investment in Mississippi County comes less than a week after privately held Marubeni-Itochu Steel America Inc (MISA)., announced on April 23 that it will invest $37 million to build a $37 million advanced flat-rolled steel processing plant in Osceola.

The MISA specialty processing plant will be located adjacent to 1,300-acre Big River Steel complex,  and will significantly increase the region’s capacity to produce high-quality steel, serving customers across the South-Central United States, including those in the automotive industry.

That investment will create 35 new, high-paying jobs in Mississippi County, where the average annual salary for a mill worker in 2025 exceeds $60,000. Construction on the project will begin in May, with operations expected to start in December 2027.