WASHINGTON –
The American Iron and Steel Institute
(AISI) has been honored with the American Council for
an Energy-Efficient Economy’s (ACEEE) Champion
of Industrial Energy Efficiency Award for Achievement
in Promoting Energy-Efficient Economies in the category
covering Industrial Leadership. The award, presented
at the 2009 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency
in Industry in Niagara Falls, NY, recognizes leadership
and accomplishment in the energy efficiency field.
“The domestic steel industry is very appreciative
of receiving this award as we have worked tirelessly
to become the greenest place on the planet to make steel,”
said Thomas J. Gibson, AISI president and CEO.
Under the leadership of AISI, the U.S. steel industry
has been focused on reducing its energy intensity since
1990 (the Kyoto base year). Through widespread implementation
of new technology, such as flat-rolled steelmaking via
electric furnace and thin slab caster and application
of advanced process modeling, increased recycling, and
internal efficiencies, the U.S. steel industry has reduced
energy use per ton of steel produced by 33 percent.
AISI tracks energy intensity annually and publishes
this industry average in order to assist its members
in determining their position versus the average. By
setting up this system, individual companies continue
to strive for greater energy efficiencies, leading to
reduced CO2 generation.
In terms of recycling performance, over the past two
decades the U.S. steel industry initiated an innovative
approach to increase the recycling of steel containers.
This effort increased the recycling rate of this particular
category from the mid-teens in 1990 to the latest EPA
published achievement of 64.3% in 2007. This achievement
positions the steel package as the most recycled food
and beverage package in the United States and provides
the U.S. steel industry with over one million extra
tons of steel scrap per year, resulting in reduced energy
consumption.
In addition, the Institute’s research programs
occur in large part in cooperation with the U.S. Department
of Energy (DOE) and have been focused on process control,
process modeling and energy improvements since 1990.
Together, the steel industry and DOE have invested over
$70 million dollars of industry and government funds
on the issue of energy efficiency. AISI is one of three
2009 “Champions” who were nominated by their
peers and selected by the Awards Committee of ACEEE’s
Board of Directors. ACEEE received 56 nominations for
this year’s Champions of Energy Efficiency in
Industry Award. Selection criteria were based on the
nominee’s impact, innovation, and leadership in
the energy efficiency field.
AISI serves as the voice of the North American steel
industry in the public policy arena and advances the
case for steel in the marketplace as the material of
choice. AISI plays a lead role in the development and
application of new steels and steelmaking technology.
AISI is comprised of 24 member companies, including
integrated and electric furnace steelmakers, and 138
associate and affiliate members who are suppliers to
or customers of the steel industry. AISI's member companies
represent over 75 percent of both U.S. and North American
steel capacity. For more news about steel and its applications,
view AISI’s Web site at www.steel.org.
Source: PR Newswire, July
30, 2009
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