In taking a step forward in decarbonizing the extreme emission steel making industry, the world’s largest solar-powered steel plant. This project will bring up a new lease of life for the iron and steel sector and will also bring benefits to the people of the place. This steel mill in Pueblo, Colorado will be the first in the country of North America to count on solar power.
This project is being developed by Evraz Steel North America. It is going to be a 300-megawatt Bighorn Solar Project and will power Evraz’s Rocky Mountain Steel mill facility and is going to use more than 750,000 solar panels on 1,800 acres of land.
The project began in 2019 when Evraz, a Chicago-based steel producer, partnered with Xcel Energy and Lightsource BP. The main power provider for the steel mill is Xcel Energy and they will purchase the power generated by the solar farm on a long-term contract with LIghtsource BP. According to the developer, it is the largest on-site solar facility.
The financing and building are handled by Lightsouce BP. The $285 million solar array project by Lightsource BP will sell the electricity generated to Xcel. Evraz is Xcel’s largest retail customer in the state of Colorado, and the solar farm will help them meet their goal of providing 55% of renewable energy by 2026 and distributing 100% carbon-free electricity by 2050.
The solar-powered steel mill is going to be the world’s biggest. The steelmakers are serious about emissions and have their goals set to become carbon neutral by 2050. This mill is attempting to go green and source most of its power from solar energy instead of coal like other mills. This switch to renewable energy will be the key to reducing emissions.
With a 20 year, fixed-rate structure the project provides Evraz North America with anticipated electricity prices and allows the mill to employ 1,000 workers. When the project will get finished the farm will provide more than 90% of the mill’s power diminishing 433,700 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions which is equivalent to 92,100 fuel-burning cars.
The project will be a state-of-the-art rail building and will also include an electric furnace that melts and recycles scrap steel hence producing less waste and less carbon than a traditional blast furnace. The project can be assumed to be the most eco-friendly and green facility of its kind not just in North America but maybe the world.
Courtesy of Xcel Energy.