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Colorado steel mill becomes ‘world’s first’ to be run almost entirely on solar

Colorado steel mill becomes ‘world’s first’ to be run almost entirely on solar
Lightsource bp opened a 300 MW solar project that will position EVRAZ's Pueblo, Colo., steel mill as one of the world's first steel mills to run almost entirely on solar. (Courtesy: Lightsource bp)

Claiming to produce some of the greenest steel in the world, a Colorado steel mill will soon be powered almost entirely by solar.

Lightsource bp announced that its 300 megawatt Bighorn Solar project will position EVRAZ's Pueblo steel mill as the world's first steel mill to run almost entirely on solar. The project, which is currently generating electricity into the grid and is expected to come fully online in November, is the largest on-site solar facility in the U.S. dedicated to a single customer.

“This project proves that even hard-to-abate sectors like steel can be decarbonized when companies come together with innovative solutions," Lightsource bp, Americas CEO Kevin Smith said. "Our collaboration with Xcel Energy and EVRAZ North America made Bighorn Solar a reality. It’s a great example of partners tackling complex issues that US industry is facing today, while at the same time preserving jobs in the manufacturing sector.”

The Bighorn Solar project features 750,000 solar panels located primarily on 1,800 acres.

Lightsource bp sells the electricity generated by the Bighorn Solar project to Xcel Energy through a 20-year power purchase agreement.

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