Newcastle
ArcelorMittal Newcastle
ArcelorMittal South Africa’s Newcastle Works, located in northern KwaZulu-Natal, is a major producer of long steel products and one of the country´s most important steelmaking facilities. Originally developed in the early 1970s under the name Iscor, the plant became part of ArcelorMittal South Africa following the global merger that formed ArcelorMittal in 2006.
Image photography
By Viktor Macha in 2025.
Plant facts and figures
Full description
Blast furnace No.4 was put into operation in 1976 and according to the original plan it was to be supplemented by three more blast furnaces. However, this plan was never realised.
The steel shop was originally constructed with the involvement of a Japanese company, and its steelmaking infrastructure includes three Nippon Steel basic oxygen furnace (BOF) vessels, each with a capacity of 165 tonnes, and the secondary metallurgy. The rolling mills were supplied by DEMAG and HITACHI, underscoring the plant’s foundation on robust international engineering.
Rolling operations are divided across four main units: the billet mill, medium mill, bar mill, and rod mill.
Through extensive modernization and expansion, Newcastle Works has evolved to reach an annual production capacity of 1.6 million tonnes.
Newcastle Works remains a cornerstone of South Africa’s steel production infrastructure, combining local expertise with international technology and engineering heritage.