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DOE Honors U. S. Steel Mon Valley Works as 2001 Plant of the YearPRNewswire U. S. Steel Group's (NYSE: X) Mon Valley Works has been named "2001 Plant of the Year" by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Industrial Technologies (OIT) in recognition of its forward-thinking energy management and conservation efforts and achievements. Mon Valley Works, which includes the Edgar Thomson and Irvin Plants, is the first-ever recipient of the OIT's newly established Plant of the Year award. DOE's Denise Swink, deputy assistant secretary for the OIT, presented the award to Jack Helfrich, operating director for plant services at Mon Valley Works, during the recent OIT Expo in Washington, D.C. Helfrich accepted the award on behalf of "the many employees who have worked diligently to implement energy-saving projects at the Mon Valley Works." Swink noted that Mon Valley Works won the award based on a number of selection criteria, including the following: its documented energy savings on projects implemented; the potential for replication of these emerging technologies at other facilities; its continuous improvement strategy for energy efficiency and related process and technology improvement opportunities; and its project implementation plan, funding commitments, and on-going validation of completed projects. Mon Valley Works is an active participant in OIT's Industries of the Future Strategy, which seeks to boost efficiency and productivity for nine energy -- and resource-intensive industries -- agriculture, aluminum, chemicals, forest products, glass, metal casting, mining, petroleum and steel. These industries account for more than 80 percent of the manufacturing sector's energy use. Helfrich said, "In this challenging global steel environment, it's refreshing to be engaged in a beneficial, highly productive cooperative partnership between industry and government. Through our partnership with OIT, we're applying technological advancements which will help us ensure that the Mon Valley Works remains among the nation's most efficient, technologically advanced steel facilities as we progress in this new millennium." Swink described the finalists for this award as being "in the forefront of applying technologies that have emerged from research and development and are now ready for commercial demonstration." She added that "the success they have achieved is due in large part to a corporate-level commitment to cut energy costs and reduce environmental impacts, and to dedicated energy teams that make increased efficiency a priority in their daily operations." Mon Valley Works General Manager Fred Harnack said, "It's a tremendous honor to be the first-ever recipient of OIT's Plant of the Year award. The fact that we were selected over all other companies in nine major industries reflects the concerted efforts of the Mon Valley Energy Teams and their forward thinking in terms of energy management and conservation. Their positive contributions are particularly critical during these times of soaring energy costs. "At the Edgar Thomson Plant alone, we have achieved significant savings in production and energy costs and realized a substantial reduction in energy use. And our four cooperative DOE projects will optimize maintenance and production in several areas. We plan to expand our efforts to involve all Mon Valley Works employees in the energy saving process." Harnack strongly endorses OIT's efforts to help companies across America implement the best energy practices at their plants. The U.S. Department of Energy's OIT, through partnerships with industry, government and non- government organizations, develops and delivers advanced energy efficiency, renewable energy and pollution prevention technologies for industrial application. OIT is part of DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. SOURCE: U.S. Steel Group Contact: Tom Ferrall, 412-433-6899, or Mike Dixon, 412-433-6860, or John Website: http://www.usx.com/ Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/929150.html or fax, |
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