Solar shines to energise 'world's first green steel mill' via Lightsource BP US deal
PV arm of UK energy giant BP to sell electricity from 300MW Bighorn project in Colorado to developer Xcel, which will deliver power to Evraz through to at least 2041
Evraz North America has hailed its steel mill in Pueblo, Colorado, as on track to be the world’s first powered largely by solar energy once Lightsource BP’s 300MW Bighorn Solar array comes fully online next month.
Fitted with more than 750,000 solar panels, Lightsource BP’s Bighorn is the largest onsite PV facility dedicated to a single customer and will allow Evraz to manufacture some of the greenest steel and steel products globally at its Rocky Mountain Steel plant, according to both companies.
“This project proves that even hard-to-abate sectors like steel can be decarbonised when companies come together with innovative solutions,” said Kevin Smith, CEO of Lightsource BP Americas.
Dave Lawler, president of BP America, said: “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.”
Bighorn Solar, which is currently generating electricity into the grid, is slated to come fully online in November.
Evraz North America is Xcel Energy’s largest retail electric customer in Colorado.
Lightsource BP claims a large-scale solar project pipeline exceeding 9GW at various stages of development in the US, with more than 2.7GW of that total under contract representing $2.2bn in potential investment.
(Copyright)