US Steel to Use Solar Energy at Big River Steel

The Entergy Arkansas Driver Solar Project has been approved by the Arkansas Public Service Commission. The project will be located on 2,100 acres adjacent to the current Big River Steel site, as well as the steelmaker’s $3 billion expansion which will add two electric arc furnaces (EAFs) with 3 million tons per year of steelmaking capabilities. Both the Driver Solar Project and the Big River Steel expansion project are expected to be completed in 2024.

“Driver Solar not only helps us meet our robust sustainability goals, but it will also help us deliver sustainable steel solutions for our customers,” said Richard Fruehauf, senior vice president and chief strategy and sustainability officer at US Steel. “The renewable energy generated will power the production of verdeX™, our advanced sustainable steel product, which is composed of up to 90% recycled steel content, as well as other products produced at our Big River Works facility.”

“We are privileged to be able to work closely with US Steel Corp. to develop sustainable solutions to help them meet their objective of producing steel using renewable electricity while simultaneously lowering rates over the long term for all 728,000-plus Entergy Arkansas customers,” commented Laura Landreaux, president and CEO of Entergy Arkansas.

Entergy Arkansas has signed a build-transfer agreement in which Lightsource bp. One of the world’s largest solar developers, Lightsource bp has already completed development and permitting of the Driver solar field.

Lightsource bp procures its wind modules from First Solar Inc., which makes its American-made solar modules at a vertically integrated manufacturing plant in Ohio.

By Laura Miller, Laura@SteelMarketUpdate.com