Cleveland-Cliffs is putting $1 billion behind Middletown Works, with Washington picking up half the tab.

The U.S. Department of Energy announced a $500 million award to support a $1 billion modernization project at Cleveland-Cliffs’ Middletown Works facility. Vice President JD Vance and Energy Secretary Chris Wright visited the plant this past Friday to highlight the investment, which is expected to protect 2,300 jobs and strengthen domestic steel production.

The project will rebuild and upgrade Middletown Works’ main blast furnace, deploy artificial intelligence to improve furnace operations and energy efficiency, and build an on-site facility to convert steel mill process gases into electricity. Cleveland-Cliffs also plans follow-on investments that would turn industrial byproducts into materials used in concrete.

“A billion-dollar investment tells you everything you need to know about Cleveland-Cliffs’ commitment to Middletown,” said Ryan Augsburger, president of the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA). “This is not some press release promise. It is real capital going into a real Ohio plant, supporting thousands of jobs and strengthening one of the most important pieces of the American manufacturing supply chain.”

Cleveland-Cliffs, an OMA member, is the nation’s largest flat-rolled steel producer, and Middletown Works supplies steel used by the automotive, HVAC, appliance and steel-distribution industries. Construction is expected to begin in the coming weeks. 8/24/2026