August 30, 2022 - Nucor Corp. will invest $200 million over a five-year period in mill modernization projects at its Nucor Steel Berkeley division, Huger, South Carolina. Pending permit and regulatory approvals, a portion of this capital outlay will include the construction of a new air separation unit to supply industrial gases for steelmaking operations.

When complete, the unit will be operated by UIG LLC, a Nucor wholly owned subsidiary, that specializes in industrial gas supply. Nucor Steel Berkeley now purchases industrial gases under a long-term supply agreement. This project will allow Nucor, through UIG, to produce and supply all the gases needed for the steel works.

"Nucor acquired UIG in 2019 so that we would have the capability to build and operate our own air separation units, giving us an alternative to long-term service contracts with outside providers," stated Mike Lee, vice president and general manager of Nucor Steel Berkeley.

The state of South Carolina provided the ASU project with a grant issued by the Department of Commerce Coordinating Council for Economic Development, as well as a grant from the state's utility provider, Santee Cooper. Nucor and Berkeley County also entered into a fee-in-lieu of tax agreement.

Nucor Steel Berkeley produces up to 3.5 million tons of flat-rolled sheet and structural steel per year for a myriad of industries, including agriculture, automotive and appliance, construction, energy generation and transmission, oil and gas, heavy equipment, infrastructure, and transportation. The facility employs about 1,000 people.