EGA Spectro Alloys opens first phase of Minnesota casthouse

I was invited to the grand opening of EGA Spectro Alloys’ new greenfield secondary billet casthouse on Oct. 2 in Rosemount, Minnesota. This is a $71-million investment in state-of-the-art secondary billet production, yielding 120 million pounds/year in its Phase 1. The project was a vision of the Palen family before EGA acquired an 80% stake in the company in 2024. The facility produced its first metal casting last month.

The production will be focused on a scrap-heavy melt formula, with the target being 80% scrap and 20% primary metal. I saw about 3 ½ million pounds of high-quality scrap in their fully enclosed scrap bunkers. The company will leverage its experience in scrap sourcing for its adjacent secondary alloys complex to support the new billet complex.

Turning scrap into on-spec alloy

The old adage in the metal business is well bought, half sold. Spectro’s experience in obsolete scraps will lend itself to integrating a great deal of post-consumer material into their billet, which is being branded as RevivAL. The facility features a Hertwich melting furnace, feeding their Wagstaffe vertical casting pit, which will produce 300-inch billet in diameters of 6 inch to 12 inch, available in log or cut length.

More work ahead

The project is moving into Phase 2. A second casting pit has been installed next to the holding furnace in the buildings. The expansion will double production when completed.

In addition, rail siding is being constructed to provide inbound rail shipments of primary metal and scrap. This gives the company optionality to take in EGA billet and casthouse products from the UAE, using Spectro as a logistic hub for the customer base in the Upper Midwest. The rail siding is expected to be in operation in mid-2026.

EGA Spectro’s inauguration is the first new secondary capacity since Hydro’s Cassopolis opening in November 2023 in Michigan.