They also have every incentive to do so. From 2010 to 2016, the price of wind and solar energy dropped by 60 and 80 percent, respectively. With the global demand for energy projected to rise 30 percent by 2040, green energy producers and related manufacturers will see an increase in business activity, including the steel industry. Steel is used to produce every single type of renewable energy, and demand for high-quality steel is looking to increase.

Take a look at some of the first movers transitioning to renewable energy and the biggest drivers of renewable energy demand in the global market.  

SEE ALSO: Building a Green Energy Future with Steel

Google, the biggest corporate consumer of renewable energy

At the end of 2017, Google purchased 3 gigawatts of renewable energy, enough to power all of its 15 data centers and offices around the world for an entire year. Google started purchasing wind power from a farm in Iowa back in 2010. Today, Google purchases most of its renewable energy from wind and solar energy farms in South Dakota, Oklahoma and Iowa.

Inside Google’s colorful and green data centers. (Source: Business Insider)

What’s significant about Google’s renewable energy consumption is that even if it does not use up all of the energy for its own operations, the company sells it back into the market in regions where they operate. Then, they retire their Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), meaning it is no longer re-usable or re-issuable. In doing so, it removes energy supplies from the market and forces producers to keep generating new renewable energy supplies, instead of trading existing RECs. Google is fully backing the renewable energy industry, creating more business for generators and materials suppliers such as steel.

SEE ALSO: India: A Rising Sun in the Global Renewable Energy Industry

With the rapid growth of internet-based services, data centers are also increasing, engulfing extensive amounts of energy. Data centers already account for 3 percent of the world’s entire electricity consumption, and 2 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to that of the airline industry. It’s a relief that companies like Google, with a growing reliance on data centers, are finding sustainable ways to fuel their business, and other companies are following suit.

Apple’s green data centers

Apple is another company that is making bold strides toward renewable energy. The company stated all of its data centers run on 100 percent renewable energy and its operations over 23 different countries run on 93 percent renewable energy.

Apple’s data centers run on 100 percent renewable energy. (Source: Digital Trends)

Apple joined RE100 in 2016, but the company is no newcomer to green energy. In 2015, Apple issued USD 1.5 billion in green bonds to finance eco-friendly business endeavors. Then in 2017, Apple issued another USD 1 billion in green bonds in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement.

In 2017, President Trump shocked the world by withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement. (Source: Fortune)

Because Apple’s business also includes manufacturers who do not follow the same sustainable practices, Apple’s next challenge is to filter through their suppliers and select those that are committed to powering their operations with renewable energy. So far, 8 major suppliers have come on board.

Microsoft and Facebook are on their way

Microsoft’s global operations have been fully powered by renewable energy since 2014. This includes manufacturing, licensing and logistics. All of its data centers are 100 percent carbon neutral, but Microsoft is planning a slow but sure transition towards renewable energy. As of now, about 44 percent of the electricity that powers Microsoft data centers come from wind, solar and hydropower, and their first target is to reach 50 percent by the end of this year. They have also stated they will strive for 60 percent in the next 10 years.

Microsoft is building new data centers all over the world, including the UK (pictured), and plans to run them on green energy. (Source: WindowsAble)

Just like Microsoft, Facebook looks to power 50 percent of all its data centers with renewable energy by the end of this year after successfully reaching its 25 percent target back in 2015. Facebook has a large presence all over the globe, and already, their data centers inLuleå, Sweden, Altoona, Iowa, Fort Worth, Texas and their Menlo Park headquarters are running on 100 percent green energy. Moreover, Facebook plans to power their newest data centers to be built in Ireland, Denmark, New Mexico, Nebraska, Ohio and Virginia with renewable energy.

Facebook’s newest data center in Virginia will run on 100 percent renewable energy. (Source: Adweek)

The largest and most influential corporations in the world that operate the ever-growing, energy-extensive data centers are making the switch to green energy. Their changing business practices will further boost the renewable energy industry, create new jobs and open new business opportunities for the steel industry. As steel plays a vital role in supplying parts for renewable energy infrastructure, high-quality steel solutions will be in increasingly high demand.  

Cover photo courtesy of Rambus.

However, these building projects are on another level of huge, and with all the megacities popping up throughout the country, China boasts many of the biggest infrastructure projects in the world. Here’s the Steel Wire’s look at some of the most impressive to date.

Three Gorges Dam

China is home to the largest dam in the world, measuring 1.5 miles in length and sitting 60 (!) stories tall. The Three Gorges Dam took 1.92 million tons of rolled steel to complete, along with 10.82 million tons of cement and 1.6 million cubic meters of timber. The dam opened in 2003 on the Yangtze River and last year, generated a record-high 97.8 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, 4.35 percent higher than the previous year.

The Three Gorges Dam is the biggest dam in the world and is made up of 1.92 million tons of steel. (Source: Wikipedia)

Beijing Capital International Airport

Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) was the second largest and busiest airport in the world in 2016, just behind the Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport in the U.S. PEK recorded 94,393,454 passengers that flew in and out in 2016, a 5 percent increase from 2015, and is easily the biggest airport in all of Asia.

Beijing Capital International Airport is the biggest airport in Asia, and second in the world. (Source: Top China Travel)

The first phase of the airport cost USD 3.5 billion and was completed in 2008, but in order to handle the growing number of passengers, an expansion project is planned for 2025. The estimated 5-year project will almost double PEK’s capacity and cost an additional USD 13 billion.   

Jiaozhou Bay Bridge

China is also home to the longest sea-crossing bridge in the world. The massive structure stretches over 26.4 miles and connects the cities of Qingdao and Huangdao. The 110ft width accommodates 6 traffic lanes that are supported by 5200 steel pillars.

The Jiaozhou Bay Bridge is held up by 5200 steel pillars. (Source: Feel the Planet)

The bridge first opened in 2011 and took USD 2.3 billion and over 10,000 workers to build. The Jiaozhou Bay Bridge also took 450,000 tons of steel to complete, allowing the bridge to be able to withstand earthquakes up to 8.0 in magnitude, typhoons and the force from a 300,000-ton object.  

Jiuquan Wind Power Base

Not surprisingly, the largest wind farm in the world located in China. Jiuquan Wind Power Base is made up of 7,000 turbines that generate enough electricity to sustain a small country. The plant was approved in 2008, and the government has pledged an additional USD 17.4 billion by 2020 as part of the effort to develop China’s renewable energy industry. For now, only 3.3 percent of all the electricity generated in China comes from wind turbines. With the additional investment, Jiuquan Wind Power Base will be able to generate a massive 20 gigawatts of sustainable electricity.

The Jiuquan Wind Power Base generates enough energy to power a small nation. (Source: The New York Times)

New Century Global Center

What does the biggest building in the world look like? A mini country. Located in Chengdu, Sichuan province, the New Century Global Center combines a shopping mall, water park, hotels, movie theaters, offices, restaurants, ice rink and more into 19 million sq.ft. of space. The structure is made of glass and steel and measures 500 meters long, 400 meters wide and 100 meters high. Designed by architect Zaha Hadid, it even has artificial sun for the perfect weather, 24 hours a day.

The New Century Global Center located in Chengdu is the largest city in the world. (Source: Thousand Wonders)

Port of Shanghai

The world’s biggest ports are mostly located in China, and the biggest one is the Port of Shanghai. In 2012, 744 million tonnes of cargo and 32.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of steel containers passed through the port. The entire area of the port on the Yangtze River covers 3,619km² comprised of 3 main ports: Wusongkou, Waigaoqiao and Yangshan Deep-Water Port. About 25 percent of China’s trade passes through the Port of Shanghai, or 2,000 steel container ships per month.

The Port of Shanghai is the largest port in the world and a quarter of China’s trade passes through it. (Source: Thomson Reuters)

Most recently, the 4th phase of the Yangshan Deep-Water Port was completed, making it the largest automated port in the world. It spans across 2.23 million square meters, and can automatically handle 4 million standard containers per year, or 25 per hour. It was also built to accommodate the heaviest ships in the world.

China is using its steel to build up the country’s infrastructure, and set world records along the way. Besides being impressive in size, the structures are expected to contribute to greater connectivity and economic prosperity throughout China.

Cover photo courtesy of Morgan Stanley.