Announcing the projects in separate statements, the company said its 15-year power purchase agreement with renewables developer EDP Renewables SA will account for most of the output of the planned 200-megawatt Headwaters III Wind Farm in Randolph County, Ind., USA. 

Located approximately 70 miles east of Indianapolis along the Ohio border, the farm is expected to be operational in 2025. 

“This project is another step towards achieving Cleveland-Cliffs’ emission reduction goal of 25% by 2030 and will advance our portfolio of renewable energy initiatives that are additive to the power grid,” said Cleveland-Cliffs chairman and chief executive Lourenco Goncalves in a statement. 

“A key priority of Cleveland-Cliffs’ greenhouse gas reduction strategy revolves around the efficient use of energy and clean energy. We are committed to the greening of the grid through renewable energy projects such as the Headwaters III Wind Farm,” he added. 

On a separate front, the company said it is hoping to start a second phase of research related to the front-end engineering design for a carbon capture project at its Burns Harbor plant in Indiana. 

The company said an initial phase of research, which received funding through the U.S. Energy Department’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, is coming to a close, and based on that work, it is now seeking additional funding for the second phase of research. 

Cleveland-Cliffs said the project aims to capture 2.8 million tons of CO₂ from blast furnace gas.