Green Steel Era Begins at Algoma Steel! Final Shift Completed for 1,000 Workers

As part of its transition from blast furnace and coke production to electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking, the company has allowed hundreds of employees to complete their final shifts at the plant. For 125 years, Algoma Steel produced its steel in coal- and coke-fired blast furnaces. However, with the commissioning of the new electric arc furnaces, this traditional system has come to an end, with the goal of reducing carbon emissions by up to 70%.

Last December, the company announced that approximately 1,000 employees would be laid off, citing the need to accelerate its billion-dollar electric arc furnace investment and commissioning process due to U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel.

The decision by Algoma Steel—the largest employer in Sault Ste. Marie—has created significant uncertainty and concern among a substantial portion of the city's workforce.