ENERGY & UTILITIES
WATCH NOW
Safe closure of the ‘ Heavy End ’ as Port Talbot looks towards a green future
“ But there ’ s no question the steel industry in totality faces challenges due to the dirty steel that ’ s produced in a lot of countries that don ’ t have the same regulations as modern economies .”
Nucor ’ s steel has a third less embodied carbon compared to blast furnace steel . And with experience in this practice spanning more than 60 years , shows that producing more eco-conscious steel is doable – and viable .
However , this does not come without its challenges , too . Tabitha is eager to highlight that Nucor ’ s electric arc furnace
process is more electricity-intensive , which makes energy security and costs an important consideration for the company .
As an aside , energy consumption is one of the two biggest costs for Nucor , alongside raw materials , highlighting the importance of energy in the company ’ s production process . And with a workforce of 32,000 and operations across 300 locations , in many of the states it operates in , Nucor is the local utility ’ s largest customer .
Explaining the significance of energy and decarbonisation for Nucor ’ s operations and costs , Tabitha adds : “ If we can find ways to reduce and find better sources for clean energy and accelerate that transition , we not only directly benefit , but all of our customers do as well , who need cleaner steel or who also need energy .”
But there is only a finite amount of scrap material available to power these electric arc furnaces – and in the eyes
energydigital . com 121