Alton Steel adds solar energy arrays

Solar panel manufacturer Qcells is installing two arrays at the Alton, Illinois, electric arc furnace (EAF) steel mill operated by Alton Steel that has been designed to provide 10 percent of Alton Steel’s electricity requirements.

Qcells, a South Korean company with United States operations based in Irvine, California, says the 6.5-megawatt project “marks just the second steel mill in the U.S. to embark on an onsite solar partnership.”

Last month, North Carolina-based EAF steelmaker Nucor Corp. announced an agreement to use solar energy sourced near its mills in Kentucky.

Representatives from Qcells and Alton Steel gathered in September with Illinois elected officials and other guests to debut the two solar arrays.

“We know that making steel requires a significant amount of energy and we know that energy comes at a high cost for our customers and the environment,” says Jim Hrusovsky, CEO of employee-owned Alton Steel, which feeds its EAF with ferrous scrap.

“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,” adds Hrusovsky. “This solar project is one of the steps Alton Steel is taking toward more sustainable steelmaking.”

Qcells North America says it can provide “a fully integrated domestic solar supply chain, from engineering, procurement and construction to financing the power purchase agreement.”

The solar energy technology provider says the project in Alton was made possible in part by the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), enabling Alton Steel to repurpose a former brownfield site. “This partnership validates that solar can play a significant role in powering industrial energy users to cut their costs and reduce emissions,” states Qcells.

Switching to electricity generated from renewable sources will significantly reduce Alton Steel’s carbon emissions, according to the technology provider.

“Our partnership with Alton Steel truly represents an incredible shift toward low-cost clean energy,” says Qcells Sustainability Program Development Manager Shannon Geiger-Risdon. “The two solar arrays will produce enough energy to power 1,300 homes a year, reducing climate pollution by up to 6,762 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent annually. This project – which has only room to grow – is proof that clean energy can power industrial customers.”

Alton Steel Inc., established in 2003 with part of its workforce members of the United Steelworkers union, describes itself as a special bar quality (SBQ) steel mill. A Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) statement posted to its website indicates the mill uses 80.4 percent “postconsumer scrap” and another 7.9 percent “pre-consumer” scrap in its melt shop, along with home scrap and “small percentages of alloy materials and iron derivatives.”