“Since achieving first arc and first steel production in early July, commissioning and ramp-up activities for Algoma's EAF project have continued to progress in-line with expectations. The operational furnace and associated meltshop assets are performing as designed, with quality metrics achieved across a broad range of plate and hot-rolled coil product grades,” the company said.  

“The Q-One power system and other critical process components have demonstrated stable and reliable performance, supporting consistent metallurgical quality and process control,” it added.

In light of U.S. trade policy, Algoma last year accelerated its process conversion project, deciding to make a full switch to EAF production sooner than it had intended. With the first of two EAFs running around the clock, Algoma intends to focus on the manufacturing and sale of discrete plate and will scale back coil production as the EAF ramps up.

“Demand for plate products across infrastructure, construction, and defense remains healthy, and we expect plate production to increase sequentially as our year ramps through 2026,” chief executive officer Rajat Marwah told investors during Algoma’s fourth-quarter earnings call.

Construction on Algoma’s second EAF is progressing. The furnace itself has been installed, and commissioning is set to occur at mid-year.