A potential Mesabi Metallics steel mill based in Kentucky recently took a significant step forward with at least one permit application to state regulators.
The permit was first reported by Fastmarkets and confirmed by Iron Range Today through a public database.
No project timelines were outlined
It outlines a 7 million ton direct reduced iron (DRI) scrap-to-steel manufacturing facility with three electric arc furnaces near Paducah, Kentucky, according to Fastmarkets, which quoted a letter to state regulators.
Iron Range Today first reported on the company’s Kentucky interest this February, with public records indicating the Mesabi GreenIron subsidiary was established there in early 2025. Kentucky’s public permit database shows the company’s steps toward a permit application began in March 2025, between the periods of Mesabi GreenIron’s formation in February and its registration within the state in April.
Officials at Mesabi Metallics have maintained their interest in Kentucky as part of due diligence and plans for a 7 million ton DRI pellet facility would continue to advance.
Public records through the Kentucky Legislative Ethics Committee show the company spent $39,500 between January and April of this year on lobbyist costs. It currently lists numerous open positions in Paducah for a DRI project coordinator and permitting managers for each air quality and water management, among others.
The Mesabi Metallics mine in Nashwauk is about 95% complete, according to officials, who projected it open during the quarter of this year.. It would be the first new iron mine in Minnesota in 50 years.
For the Iron Range, which has been mired in a number of laid-off miners since last year, the project is largely seen as a potential economic boon for the region, though steelmakers are anticipating a better market on the horizon.
