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Introduction & Market Context
Algoma Steel Group Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTL) presented its first quarter 2025 earnings results on April 30, 2025, revealing ongoing financial challenges amid its strategic transition to Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) technology. The Canadian steelmaker continues to navigate a difficult market environment characterized by pricing pressures and rising costs, though it showed sequential improvement from the previous quarter’s results.
The company’s presentation highlighted trade policy uncertainties, global supply chain disruptions, and automotive industry dynamics as key factors influencing the steel market. Despite these headwinds, Algoma maintained its focus on the transformative EAF project, which remains on schedule for production start in Q2 2025.
Quarterly Performance Highlights
Algoma reported mixed results for Q1 2025, with shipping volumes of 470,000 net tons, representing a 14% decrease from Q4 2024 but a 4% increase year-over-year. Steel revenue declined to $463 million, down 14% sequentially and 18% compared to Q1 2024, reflecting continued pricing pressures in the market.
The company posted an adjusted EBITDA of -$47 million, showing a $13 million improvement from the previous quarter’s -$60 million, but still significantly below the $42 million reported in Q1 2024. Net income followed a similar pattern, with a loss of $25 million representing a $42 million improvement from Q4 2024’s -$67 million, but down $53 million from the positive $28 million in Q1 2024.
As shown in the following detailed financial comparison:
Net sales realization per ton stood at $986, down 22% year-over-year but up slightly (1%) from the previous quarter. Meanwhile, the cost of steel products sold increased to $1,137 per ton, up 4% from Q1 2024 and 10% from Q4 2024, further pressuring margins. The adjusted EBITDA margin for Q1 2025 was -9.0%, reflecting these challenging conditions.
EAF Project Progress
Despite financial headwinds, Algoma’s Electric Arc Furnace project continues to advance on schedule, representing a critical strategic initiative for the company’s future competitiveness and environmental footprint. The presentation showcased significant construction progress, with side-by-side comparisons of renderings and actual construction photos.
The following image demonstrates the substantial progress made on the EAF construction as of April 2025:
Several key milestones have been achieved in the EAF construction, including the commissioning of the Water Treatment Plant and Fume Treatment Plant, as well as the testing and energizing of the EAF Electrical Substation. The furnace has now been placed inside the engineered furnace enclosure, as shown in these construction updates:
From a financial perspective, the EAF project has seen cumulative spending of $824 million to date, with $16 million remaining in the Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) loan. Total (EPA:TTEF) project commitments stand at $880 million. The company has completed several critical components, including shell reline foundations, dust hood, EAF substation, meltshop roofing, and utility room electrical transformers.
Strategic Transition Plan
Algoma outlined a comprehensive, de-risked transition plan for its shift to EAF steelmaking. The company will initially operate its integrated steelmaking facilities in parallel with the new EAF operations when they come online in Q2 2025. This approach is designed to ensure uninterrupted steel production while gradually ramping up EAF capacity.
The company’s strategic roadmap includes three distinct phases:
In the current phase, Algoma is operating its primary facilities while training the EAF workforce, producing approximately 2.1-2.2 million net tons of finished steel. During the 2025-26 transition period, both integrated and EAF steelmaking will run in parallel, with expected production increasing to 2.4-2.5 million net tons.
By 2027, Algoma plans to shut down coke making, basic oxygen furnace (BOF), and Blast Furnace #7 operations, reducing emissions by approximately 70% while improving conversion costs and enhancing margins. At that point, finished steel production is expected to reach 3.0 million net tons.
Financial Position & Outlook
Despite ongoing losses, Algoma maintained a solid liquidity position with $227 million in cash at the end of Q1 2025 and $362 million available under its Revolving Credit Facility. The company’s net working capital decreased from $868 million in Q4 2024 to $730 million in Q1 2025, continuing a general downward trend from previous quarters.
The following chart illustrates the company’s net working capital seasonality over the past several years:
Algoma provided a detailed reconciliation of its adjusted EBITDA, highlighting the various factors impacting its financial performance:
Looking ahead, Algoma faces continued market challenges but remains focused on its strategic transition to EAF steelmaking. The company expects this shift to significantly improve its cost structure, environmental footprint, and competitive positioning in the North American steel market once fully implemented.
Management emphasized the transformative potential of the EAF project, which represents not only a technological upgrade but a fundamental shift in the company’s production capabilities and environmental impact. With the project on track for Q2 2025 startup, investors will be closely watching for signs of operational and financial improvement as the transition progresses.
Full presentation:
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