PROJECT LEGACY: NORTH AMERICAN IRON FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ) Q. WHAT IS PROJECT LEGACY? A. Project Legacy, through the two affiliated companies - Calumet Reclamation Company (CRC) and North American Iron (NA) - will reclaim historic iron resources in Minnesota and transforms them into premium pig iron in North Dakota, creating a fully U.S. domestic steel supply chain that supports jobs, economic development, land reclamation, and American industrial growth for generations.
MINOT, ND
Q. WHO IS CALUMET RECLAMATION COMPANY? A. Calumet Reclamation Company (CRC) will reclaim legacy iron ore stockpiles and tailings along the historic iron range in Minnesota, concentrating it further for direct end-to-end rail shipping from Calumet, MN to Minot, ND for processing into pig iron. Q. WHO IS NORTH AMERICAN IRON (NAI)? A. North American Iron (NAI) is focused on building a sustainable future for the American steel industry, using the reclaimed legacy iron ore and stockpiles from the iron range in Minnesota and manufacturing it into premium pig iron in Minot, North Dakota. Q. WHAT IS PIG IRON? A. Pig Iron is the critical feedstock for American steel manufacturing to make premium steel products, such as bridges, planes and submarines. Today, 100% of pig iron is imported into the U.S. Project Legacy change that by processing iron ore and transform it into premium pig iron to sell to the U.S. steel manufacturing industry. The name comes from the old casting process. Molten iron was poured into a central channel with smaller molds branching off, which looked like piglets nursing from a sow. Q: WHAT ROLE DOES IT PLAY IN STEEL PRODUCTION? A: You can't make steel without iron feedstock. In the US today: 20% of our steel comes from Minnesota iron ore — traditional iron range production to the blast furnaces of the Southern Great Lakes. 80% of our steel is made from a blend of scrap metal (~80%) and iron ore products (~20%). The iron in our scrap-based steel is 100% imported — from Russia, China, Brazil and other countries. We have not had a domestic source in the U.S. since the beginning of our scrapbased steel making in the early 1980s. North American Iron will produce pig iron right here in Minot — giving American steelmakers a domestic, reliable source and reducing our dependence on foreign adversaries.
Q. HOW LONG HAS THIS PROJECT BEEN UNDERWAY? A. The idea behind Project Legacy dates back nearly two decades. While the vision remained consistent, the combination of proven resources, changing market conditions, growing demand for domestic steelmaking materials, and an experienced team created the opportunity to move the project forward at an accelerated pace from 2020 to today. Q. WHERE IS THIS PROPOSED FACILITY IN NORTH DAKOTA? A. North American Iron anticipates locating its pig iron facility in northeast Minot, approximately two to three miles east-northeast of the Minot International Airport. Q. HOW SOON WILL IT BE COMPLETED? A. The current timeline calls for construction to begin in 2027, following the successful obtainment of construction financing. It is anticipated that it will take roughly three years to complete, with a potential open date in late 2029, or early 2030. Q. HOW MANY EMPLOYEES ARE NEEDED AND WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO GET THAT STAFF? A. The pig iron production facility is being set up to run three shifts of employees, operating 24/7/365. Approximately 650 full-time employees will be needed. For context, there are nearly 400,000 U.S. employees in the metal manufacturing industry. The workforce recruitment program for this plant will likely include recruiting some of those out-of-state employees to move to Minot. Other employees could come from within the region, including separating/retiring Airmen from the Minot Air Force Base and graduates of bachelor and associate degree programs within Minot and across the state.