AFS Corporate member AMERICAN Cast Iron Pipe Company’s “Right Way” Next Generation Melt Project is one of 33 projects 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 with a competitive advantage in the emerging clean energy economy.

The $185.4 million Next Gen Melt Project, scheduled for completion in 2027, 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.”