Essar Steel Minnesota LLC today announced that it has entered into a long term iron ore pellet off-take agreement with ArcelorMittal USA. The 10-year agreement and the supply of pellets is expected to begin during the second half of ESML’s fiscal year, ending March 31, 2014.

Through the agreement, ESML will supply 3.5 million metric tonnes of standard and fluxed iron ore pellets annually to ArcelorMittal’s North American operations.

ESML is in the process of constructing a 7 million metric ton per year iron ore pellet plant at Nashwauk in Northern Minnesota. The estimated cost of the project is $1.7 billion.

Madhu Vuppuluri, president and CEO of ESML said: “This off-take agreement demonstrates the marketability of ESML’s high quality products to third parties in addition to Essar Steel Algoma.” He further added that ESML’s diverse product portfolio will include standard, flux and DR grade pellets, and ESML will be the only producer capable of producing all three types of pellets in Unites States.

John Brett, executive vice president for finance, planning and procurement of ArcelorMittal, USA, said: “We are pleased to enter into this long term off take agreement with ESML. This off- take agreement is consistent with our strategy of securing long term supply of critical raw materials within the region, and it provides material that meets the stringent standards of our blast furnaces. ESML’s ability to provide different types of pellets provides us the flexibility to utilize the product at multiple furnaces. ”

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