Cleveland-Cliffs Burns Harbor
Large load · 250 US-12, Burns Harbor, IN
Burns Harbor Works, on Lake Michigan in Porter County, Indiana, is Cleveland-Cliffs' second-largest US mill. It is a fully integrated plant with coke ovens, two blast furnaces, BOF steelmaking, hot and cold rolling, galvanizing and plate mills, and can make nearly 5 million net tons of raw steel a year. Cliffs has not published the plant's grid demand or its electricity contract.
Overview
Cliffs twice postponed relining Blast Furnace C, first from 2025 to 2026 and then to 2027, and in February 2026 confirmed the reline for 2027. Its CFO said 2026 capital spending of about $700 million includes pre-work and a coke plant upgrade ahead of the reline, and that 2027 spending rises to about $900 million largely because of it. Advocates had pressed Cliffs to use the decision point to move toward lower-carbon ironmaking. Cliffs' CEO said blast furnaces are 'here to stay'.
Profile
- Plate consolidation in 2026
- In April 2026 Cliffs said it was idling the smaller 110-inch plate mill at Burns Harbor and folding its capabilities into the 160-inch mill, along with idling the Gary plate finishing line. The company said this removes an inefficient line without losing capability or overall steel output.
- Facilities and products
- Cliffs' June 2026 fact sheet lists coke plant operations, ironmaking, steelmaking, hot rolling, pickling, cold rolling, annealing, galvanizing, finishing, plate rolling and heat treating on a 1,986-acre site. It serves appliance, automotive, construction, pipe and tube, and shipbuilding markets.
Facility
- Activity
- Integrated blast furnace/BOF steelmaking: hot-rolled, cold-rolled and hot-dip galvanized coil and as-rolled and heat-treated plate
- Industry
- Manufacturing
- Site type
- Facility
- Operating status
- Operating
Related records
Timeline
- May 15, 2025
- Blast Furnace C reline delayed a second time, to 2027
Why delayed maintenance at a northwest Indiana steel plant gives green steel advocates hope
- Feb 17, 2026
- Cliffs confirms Blast Furnace C reline for 2027
Cleveland-Cliffs planning investment at Porter County steel mill – Inside INdiana Business
- Apr 21, 2026
- Cliffs idles the 110-inch plate mill, consolidating into the 160-inch mill
Cleveland-Cliffs idling steel mill facilities in Burns Harbor and Gary