Essar Steel Minnesota project to be delayed

Essar Steel Minnesota project to be delayed. Ore production at the proposed $1.6bn Essar Steel Minnesota iron ore pellet and slab steel plant is likely to be delayed until 2012, Steel Business Briefing understands. The company has encountered delays in obtaining necessary financing, according to local media reports. A spokeswoman did not immediately respond to SBB's request for comment, however, Essar has recently affirmed its commitment to construction of the facility. The 2.5m tonnes/year steelmaking complex would be "the first facility in North America to include iron ore mining, ore processing, direct reduction and steelmaking on a single site," according to the company's website. The facility is slated to include a conventional open pit mining, concentrating and pellet plant operation, followed by a direct reduced iron plant and slab caster, according to the company.