In December 2019, Industeel signed their first photovoltaic contract for the installation of more than 1500 solar panels to be mounted on the roof of the plant in Charleroi. These panels have been fixed on a framework made of steel coated with Magnelis®. This is a strong illustration of sustainability. The new solar panels will produce around 500 MWh annually. All the green electricity generated will be internally consumed and will allow Industeel to produce cost-efficient steel while reducing its CO2 footprint.
Even if our daily and professional lives have been greatly impacted by the challenges of the Covid-19 for the recent couple of months, some projects have continued and have even been successfully completed. Since 24 March 2020, the Industeel site in Charleroi (Belgium) has been equipped with 1512 photovoltaic panels.
“The renewable energy generated by these 1500 solar panels supports us in achieving ArcelorMittal’s ambition to be CO2 neutral by 2050,” says Alex Nick, CEO Industeel.
With this project, ArcelorMittal reinforces its commitment to energy efficiency, renewable energy and CO2 emissions reduction across all facilities. ArcelorMittal’s ambition is to significantly reduce its CO2 emissions and to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement and the science-based trajectory for our sector. The recent photovoltaic project by Industeel Belgium makes one more step towards sustainability and a cleaner future while reducing its expense and generating positive EBITDA savings.
Throughout the 20 years of the contract life, the supplier will also assume the full maintenance and operations of the panels and also they will guarantee both the performance and the output of the panels. After 20 years, the panels will belong to Industeel Belgium and will continue to produce energy. The electrical power of each panel is 320 Wp (watt peak), which corresponds, with southern exposure, to an expected annual global electricity production of 500 MWh, equivalent to the energy consumption of 120 households.
This project could successfully be realised thanks to the excellent teamwork between Industeel and the European Procurement Organisation’s energy efficiency projects team, leading to savings in energy, costs and production of renewable energy.
The EPO energy efficiency projects team implements various energy efficiency projects, including onsite solar photovoltaic projects on roof and land of ArcelorMittal sites, to achieve ArcelorMittal’s ambition to be CO2 neutral by 2050.
Contribution: Pratik Dutta Roy and Fares Nasrallah – EPO Energy Efficiency Team, and Sandra Ottaviano, Communications, Industeel Belgium – Pictures by Marc Burton, Energy Management and Optimisation, Industeel Belgium
