BP Finances Construction of World’s First Solar-Powered Steel Plant With 750,000 Solar Panels

The First Solar Energy Steel Plant Will Be Operated By The Russian Company Evraz Plc; It Has Thousands Of Solar Panels For Its Operation

A steel mill in Pueblo operated by the Russian manufacturer Evraz Plc, which melts and reuses scrap, will consist of more than 700,000 solar panels. The venture will begin operations in November this year and will be able to supply all the energy needed for the operation of the plant. The solar-powered steel plant is the first of its kind in the world.

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Reduction Of Carbon Emissions And Solar-Powered Steel Plant

The establishment of the world’s first solar-powered steel plant comes at a time when some of the largest steelmakers in the U.S. are serious about emissions and are setting targets to become carbon neutral by 2050.

The steel industry remains one of the most polluting industries in the world, responsible for about 6% of global carbon dioxide emissions. Experts say that switching to renewable energy will be key to reducing emissions.

Lightsource bp, BP’s subsidiary for photovoltaic solar energy, announced on Wednesday (13) the commissioning of its project – Bighorn Solar, located in Colorado.

750,000 Solar Panels

The joint venture will allow the construction of the first photovoltaic plant equipped with 750,000 solar panels, capable of providing electricity to the Russian steel mill Evraz, based in Pueblo.

With the commissioning, Evraz’s facility – which transforms recycled scrap into pure steel, specifically intended for the railway sector – will become the first steel mill in North America to use solar energy as its primary electrical supply source. The project is also expected to help Colorado achieve its goal of 100% renewable energy by 2040.

“This project proves that even hard-to-abate sectors like steel can be decarbonized when companies come together with innovative solutions,” said Kevin Smith, CEO of Lightsource BP, Americas.

Largest Solar Plant In Brazil

The Pirapora solar plant is considered the largest solar energy plant in Brazil and all of Latin America. Built in Pirapora, a municipality in Minas Gerais, the plant has been operating since 2017 and is owned by the French company EDF Energies Nouvelles (EDF EN), in partnership with Omega Geração (initially, the partnership was with the solar panel manufacturer Canadian Solar, which sold its stake to Omega Geração in 2018). And the plant is indeed large: it occupies the equivalent of 1,500 soccer fields, consisting of a set of 11 plants, resulting in a true solar complex with a total generation capacity of 400 MW (megawatts).

With this amount, it is possible to generate solar energy for 420,000 low-income homes. The Pirapora solar plant was built in an area near the São Francisco River, at a cost of around R$ 2 billion.

During the first phase of implementation, the project employed more than 300 workers from the region. The estimate is that similar projects to BP’s joint venture will also arrive in Brazil soon and transform the steel industry.