Last month’s feature on sustainable steel manufacturing in Mississippi County caught the eye of the team at Trane Technologies, which reached out to share how they are using and supporting low-carbon steel in Arkansas.
Trane Technologies has been using low-carbon steel at its Fort Smith manufacturing facility, which produces custom air handling units, and at other manufacturing plants throughout the United States. The publicly traded company, with North American headquarters in Davidson, North Carolina, focuses on heating and cooling solutions for buildings, homes and transport refrigeration, and touts a strong public commitment to long-term sustainability.
In 2022, the company announced its industry-first purchase agreement for low-carbon steel with Nucor Steel. Less than one year later, the company shared a major milestone in its progress: more than one million HVAC units with low-carbon steel shipped to homeowners and commercial customers across the U.S. The company’s low-carbon steel products – which include high-efficiency heat pumps and air conditioners – help enable emission reductions in homes, schools, data centers and hospitals.
Trane Technologies’ use of low carbon steel in Fort Smith is yet another example of sustainable steel innovation and investments in Arkansas. Nucor-Yamato is a Japanese-American joint venture with a Blytheville plant capable of producing 2.5 million tons of steel per year. U.S. Steel owns the Big River Steel operation in Osceola, which bills itself as “America’s newest and greenest steelmaking plant.”
That, of course, was before Hybar Steel, led by former Big River CEO Dave Stickler, started making rebar last month a few miles away.
Hybar has a 400-acre solar power array with power lines running directly into its plant.
For Trane Technologies, the use of low-carbon steel aligns with the company’s core strategy of sustainability. “Trane Technologies is taking bold action to decarbonize our entire value chain as we challenge what’s possible for a sustainable world,” said spokesperson Brandon Borgna.
Last year, Trane Technologies committed to reduce embodied carbon by 40% by 2030, expanding its commitment to source more sustainable materials like low-carbon steel, the company said. “We are proud to lead our industry in reducing the embodied carbon of our products, which helps our customers – around the world and right here in Arkansas – reduce emissions and lower their environmental footprints,” Borgna said.
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