British solar power company Lightsource bp has said Evraz Pueblo Steel Mill in the US has become the world's '1st' steel mill to be 'largely' powered by solar energy, after it switched on a 300 MW DC/240 MW AC Bighorn Solar Project in Pueblo, US. It is the 'largest' onsite solar facility in the US that's exclusively powering a single customer, Lightsource bp added.
Under a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) Xcel Energy procures power generated by the 300 MW facility that's financed, owned and operated by Lightsource bp, and then supplies it onward to Evraz's steel mill, an arrangement that's to stay till 2041 (see Lightsource BP To Build 240 MW PV Project In Colorado).
Located on 1,800 acres of land on Evraz Rocky Mountain Steel Property in Colorado, the Bighorn Solar Project is equipped with 750,000 solar panels. While it is already connected to the grid, the facility is expected to come fully online in November 2021.
For Xcel Energy, the project helps bring down its CO2 emissions; for Evraz, the use of solar power at a fixed rate will enable it to produce green steel and steel products for low, predictable prices.
"Bighorn Solar shows us what the future of American energy can look like. Renewable energy can create a more sustainable, competitive business. Projects like this can make companies more resilient and protect jobs through the energy transition," said Chairman and President of bp America, Dave Lawler. "And it's another example of how bp is working to help the US and the world reach net zero by 2050."
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