Governor, Sen. Brown Help Lay Bricks on SunCoke Energy Plant Creating New Jobs in Middletown
Middletown, Ohio – Ohio Governor Ted Strickland today joined Sunoco, AK Steel, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown and other leaders to lay bricks at SunCoke Energy’s $360 million coke manufacturing facility that is creating 550 construction jobs and 86 new Ohio steel industry jobs in Middletown.
Construction of the facility is nearly 25% complete.
“Made in Ohio means something to me and this new facility guarantees that steel will be continued to be made here in Middletown,” Strickland said. “Steel has been a vital part of Ohio’s history and we are working every day to make steel a vital part of Ohio’s future. We are proud to have worked with SunCoke and AK Steel to bring hundreds of new jobs and the cleanest coke plant in the country to southwest Ohio. In fact, it is because we fought to broker a deal between U.S. EPA and SunCoke that we can celebrate these jobs today.”
The Strickland Administration worked to see that this plant received all necessary permits and approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, even mediating between the agency and SunCoke and AK Steel to resolve air quality issues. The agreement brokered by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency secured Ohio jobs and ensured steel will continue to be made in Middletown while also protecting the environment and public health. In February, the Ohio EPA issued the most stringent requirements in the country for coke-making facilities and set a new standard for similar coke-making facilities. The permit also contained a requirement to monitor air quality near the plant.
Previously, AK Steel purchased 25 percent of its annual coke requirements on the open market. Once completed, the new SunCoke facility will provide all of the coke and electricity to the adjacent AK Steel Middletown Works under a 20 year supply agreement.
Construction began on the project in April 2010 and is expected to be completed in September 2011. At a cost of $360 million, the construction project will create approximately 550 jobs at its peak. Upon its completion, the 100 oven facility will create 86 new Ohio steel jobs and have the capacity to produce 550,000 tons per year of high quality metallurgical grade coke.
Speaking on the facility’s future, Sunoco Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Lynn L. Elsenhans said, “This project is our sixth commercial-scale cokemaking facility. With Middletown coming online in about a year, SunCoke Energy continues to strengthen its position as the premier provider of metallurgical grade coke to the commercial steel industry.”
“New investments in manufacturing like this SunCoke Energy plant create jobs for southwest Ohio families and strengthen our economy,” Brown said. “Ohio already has a skilled workforce and a rich manufacturing heritage, spurred by projects like these that lead to good-paying jobs. Simply put, this would be one of the largest cogeneration power projects in the nation – and it’s happening right here in Middletown.”
Through SunCoke Energy, Sunoco has made high-quality metallurgical-grade coke for major steel manufacturers for the past 45 years. The company’s facilities in the U.S. have the capacity to manufacture approximately 3.67 million tons of metallurgical coke annually which accounts for 25% of total U.S. production.
