Evraz Rocky Mountain Steel wanted to reduce emissions in the steel industry. They turned to Solar Power. Evraz America is the owner of this plant in Pueblo.
To do this, Evraz North America (headquartered in Chicago) partnered with Xcel Energy and a href= “https://www.lightsourcebp.com/us/projects/bighorn-solar/”>Lightsource BP/a> in 2019. Evraz North America, headquartered in Chicago, partnered up with Xcel Energy in 2019 and Lightsource BP to achieve this.
The Bighorn Solar Project was made possible by a combination of innovative ideas, hard work, and passion for renewable energies.
EVRAZ STEEL PLANT HISTORY & BACKGROUND
Pueblo’s steel mill, founded in 1881, is a rich source of American industrial history.
Evraz Pueblo, the only steel manufacturer in the west of the United States in the early 20th century, played a major role in connecting people to goods and services in the Rockies region and further west.
The mill’s production of steel eventually fell dramatically. U.S. steel began to be imported in large quantities, which led the mill’s rail manufacturing business to decline.
Union Pacific Railroad was one of the largest customers of Evraz Pueblo. Union Pacific began buying its steel rail in 2015 from a Japanese company. As a result, Pueblo’s mill Section 223 imposed a 25% tariff in March 2018 on imports of steel, stopping the cheap imports from abroad. Evraz North America was able to turn its Pueblo (and other) locations back into a better business with the help of this trade action.
What is the project?
Evraz Rocky Mountain Steel can maintain energy prices that are predictable with the Bighorn Solar Project. The mill’s 1,600 employees can also remain in the Pueblo region.
The project will cover 1,800 acres with 750,000 solar panels. The project is expected to generate 300 MW of electricity for Evraz’s Rocky Mountain Steel Mill.
Lightsource BP is the developer of this solar project, which is based out of Bighorn, North Dakota. The solar project is not only the largest on-site facility in the United States, but it also powers the world’s sustainable steel plant.
Its development demanded a $285 million investment. Fortunately, Lightsource BP, as well as other project investors, rose to the challenge.
The solar panel array will supply over 90% of the required electricity for the steel mill, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by about 500,000 tons. A case study shows that this is equivalent to the emissions from 92,000 gasoline-powered cars.
Solar power will be used to process over 1 billion pounds (roughly tens and millions) of steel into 100-meter lengths. Then, workers weld these rail sections together to create sticks up to a quarter mile in length. The sticks are then shipped all over North America.
A solar-powered steel mill will also include an electric arc furnace, which melts old scrap metal to be repurposed for future use. The companies are demonstrating their commitment to sustainability by collaborating on this project.
Why is it important to power the steel industry with solar energy?
In 2018, every ton of steel produced resulted in about 1,85 tons of CO2. The steel industry is responsible for around 8 percent of global carbon emissions.
With emissions that vast, it’s no wonder companies are seeking alternative, sustainable solutions. Evraz North America has updated its environmental strategy in order to reduce total gas emissions from its steel production by 33% before 2030.
Solar-powered plants not only make electricity more predictable, but they also keep the mill from moving its steel production to a cheaper area.
COLORADO’S CLEAN ENERGY Goals
According to the Colorado Energy Plan, the project will help Colorado achieve its goal of reducing the state’s overall pollution. The solar-powered plant aims to send 55% of its clean energy into the grid by 2026 and reduce its CO2 emissions by 60%.
Although this does not meet Xcel Energy’s goal to deliver 100% carbon-free energy by 2050, industries must take these steps to achieve it.