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ArcelorMittal USA Earns 2013 ENERGY STAR Award for Sustained Excellence

04/05/2013 - ArcelorMittal USA has been honored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy with the 2013 ENERGY STAR® Award for Sustained Excellence.

ArcelorMittal USA has been honored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy with the 2013 ENERGY STAR® Award for Sustained Excellence. This is the sixth year in a row that the company has been recognized for its efforts to reduce energy intensity.
"The EPA is recognizing ArcelorMittal USA for earning EPA’s highest ENERGY STAR award - the 2013 Partner of the Year - Sustained Excellence Award,” said Bob Perciasepe, acting administrator, U.S. EPA. “ArcelorMittal USA leads the field with its commitment to energy efficiency and demonstrates how all Americans can save energy, save money, and create a healthier environment.”
During 2012, ArcelorMittal USA expanded its energy program to include its ore mining operations throughout the country, as well as plants throughout the Americas region. In 2012, ArcelorMittal USA achieved approximately a 1.87% reduction in energy intensity, which is the equivalent of powering 141,648 homes for a year.
“ArcelorMittal is honored to be recognized as an ENERGY STAR partner for the past six years, a distinction that truly exemplifies our commitment to producing safe, sustainable steel,” said Mike Rippey, president and CEO, ArcelorMittal USA
P.S. Venkat, CEO, ArcelorMittal Long Carbon North America, agrees. “By continuing to identify and implement innovative energy solutions, we will further reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect the environment and natural resources, and improve the sustainability of our operations.”
A sampling of some of the successful energy projects from 2012:
·         At Indiana Harbor, the 504 boiler project recovers and reuses energy by transferring blast furnace gas from the blast furnace to a newly constructed boiler to cogenerate steam and electricity. The 504 boiler was brought on-line on August 11, 2012, with an expected savings of US$19.8m per year
·         Hot dip cooling tower VFD project at Burns Harbor reduced electricity usage by running cooling tower pumps and fan motors at a reduced rate. This was achieved by installing variable frequency drives to control five motors and running the pumps at 85 percent of capacity resulting in US$200,000 electricity and US$200,000 maintenance savings per year. Fifty percent of the project was funded by a local utility grant
·         Burns Harbor also installed 108 412W induction fixtures in the hot strip slab yard, replacing 875W pulse-start metal halide fixtures for an annual energy savings of US$38,000. These lamps should last 10 years, compared to the present three year lamp life. If the trial is successful, this can be expanded to numerous areas at all plant locations
·         The “B” generator in Cleveland was down since January 2011. The generator was recently refurbished and put back on line in October 2012. The expected increase in power generation for the Cleveland facility is between four to five MW. At the present price for electricity, the expected savings will be US$1.6m per year
·         At Warren, in-house steam trap surveys were performed on a more frequent basis. The facility began switching trap types to a more reliable model that lasts longer and is easier to change when required. As the program matures, the number of failed traps will be reduced greatly, saving several thousand pounds per hour of 215 psi steam
·         At I/N Tek, tuning and maintaining the annealing furnace measured and adjusted excess air levels on 446 radiant tube burners at the continuous anneal process line (CAPL) replaced failed recuperators and eliminated air leaks at the burners. The facility adjusted burners to 10-to-15 percent excess air which resulted in energy saving of US$90,000 per year.
·         At I/N Kote, flow meters were installed in the piping system to control pump on/off status based on plant cooling water demand. The site is currently operating all four pumps in the system to accommodate peak demand with an energy saving of US$85,000 per year.
·         Since 2006, ArcelorMittal has reduced its energy costs by more than US$165m through focused improvements and energy management.