Mesabi Metallics has begun mining iron ore at its Nashwauk, Minnesota site, the company and local coverage say, marking the first new iron ore (taconite) mine and pellet plant in the state in about 50 years.
Mesabi Metallics’ corporate website describes the Nashwauk project as “the first new mine and pellet plant in Minnesota in almost 50 years” and says it will produce DR-grade pellets for the next generation of steelmaking.
Regional reporting by MPR News says Mesabi Metallics has started mining at the site as part of a roughly $2.5 billion project on the Iron Range, and that operations are beginning this year.
The company also posted that the U.S. Export-Import Bank chairman visited the Nashwauk operation as activities began, highlighting federal interest in the project as it moves toward commercial operation.
Mesabi Metallics has described a large construction workforce on site during buildout and says the operation is on track to produce merchant DR-grade iron ore pellets intended for low-emissions steel production.
Why it matters: the restart of a new taconite mine and pellet plant in Minnesota revives decades of Iron Range investment and aims to supply direct-reduced iron feedstock for steelmakers exploring lower-emission processes, a point Mesabi Metallics has emphasized on its project pages.
Local reporting and the company website frame the Nashwauk start as the latest step in a long-planned redevelopment of the Mesabi Range, and they say the project could reshape regional jobs and supply chains as pellet production ramps up.
Sources
- Mesabi Metallics — project and company statements that the Nashwauk site is the first new mine and pellet plant in Minnesota in almost 50 years and will produce DR-grade pellets.
- MPR News — reporting that Mesabi Metallics has begun mining at Nashwauk as part of a roughly $2.5 billion project and that operations are beginning this year.
- Mesabi Metallics news — notice that the U.S. Export-Import Bank chairman visited the site as operations begin.
