Illinois, US-based Alton Steel Inc. has commissioned a 6.5-megawatt solar project at its mill, supplied by Qcells, the largest solar panel manufacturer in North America, according to a statement released by Qcells.
Accordingly, Qcells has installed two solar arrays which will meet 10 percent of Alton’s energy needs. They will also reduce climate pollution by up to 6,762 mt of carbon dioxide equivalent per year.
“Sustainability must be a foundation of what we do, which is why we are working towards decarbonizing our process and using renewable sources to power the mill. This solar project is one of the steps Alton Steel is taking towards more sustainable steelmaking,” Jim Hrusovsky, CEO of Alton Steel, stated.
Alton Steel is an EAF-based steelmaker that produces a wide range of products including bar-in-coil, special bar quality steel, and has a melting capacity of 750,000 mt per year and rolling capacity of 400,000 mt per year.