AMERICAN Cast Iron Pipe Company’s “Right Way” Next Generation Melt Project is one of 33 selected for award negotiation by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED). In total, the selected projects are eligible to receive up to $6 billion to accelerate decarbonization projects and provide American manufacturers a competitive advantage in the emerging clean energy economy.
The $185.4 million Next Gen Melt Project is scheduled for completion in 2027 and replaces AMERICAN’s current single cupola furnace with four coreless induction furnaces. The electric-melt technology will reduce the facility’s CO2e emissions by 62% and melting/holding process CO2e emissions by 95%, as the company is able to source energy from cleaner and renewable sources. In addition, the new facility will help retain higher paying jobs at the Birmingham facility and increase the company’s melting capacity by 25% to meet growing demand for AMERICAN’s products in the water and wastewater markets.
“We were thrilled to learn we had made it to the negotiation phase of the awards,” said Scott Murphy, chief financial officer and project co-lead. “We are hopeful for a substantial amount of funding to offset the cost of this project and support others. This is the first of several initiatives planned over the next five to seven years to improve the company’s carbon footprint and sustainable manufacturing processes.”
The Next Gen Melt Project will be among the first in the ductile iron pipe industry to use this electric-melt technology on this scale. “We believe this technology can revolutionize the way ductile iron pipe is produced in the U.S.,” said Joe Thomas, senior vice president of engineering and project co-lead. “These upgrades can be replicated throughout the industry to provide lower-carbon footprint piping for municipal water systems to replace America’s aging water infrastructure.”
OCED was established to accelerate clean energy technologies and fill a critical innovation gap on the path to achieving our nation’s climate goals of net zero emissions by 2050. OCED’s mission is to deliver clean energy demonstration projects at scale in partnership with the private sector to accelerate deployment, market adoption and the equitable transition to a decarbonized energy system. Visit energy.gov/oced to learn more.
Founded in 1905 in Birmingham, Alabama, AMERICAN manufactures ductile iron pipe, spiral-welded steel pipe, valves and hydrants for the waterworks industry and steel pipe for the energy and carbon capture industries. The company’s diversified product line also includes fire pumps, structural casing and piling, castings for large machinery and specialty rubber products. Visit american-usa.com to learn more.
