Nucor Corp., a manufacturer of steel and steel products, has signed a 10-year virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) with Ørsted Onshore North America LLC for 100 MW from the company’s Western Trail wind farm in north Texas.
This is Nucor’s second VPPA. Last year, Nucor signed a VPPA with EDFR Renewables North America to be the sole off-taker for EDFR’s 250 MW Brazos Fork solar project, which is also located in Texas. Together, these two projects have the potential to supply renewable power to the regional electric grid 24 hours a day.
“This agreement will enable us to further reduce our climate footprint beyond our operations,” says Leon Topalian, president and CEO of Nucor Corp. “Supporting the growth of renewable power generation is not only fundamental to who we are as a company but it also allows us to continue to lead the way forward for the global steel industry.”
Ørsted’s Western Trail project is already under construction and is expected to be in service later this year. The project incorporates Nucor steel and steel products and is designed to continue generating power even during particularly severe weather, such as that recently experienced in Texas.
