ArcelorMittal unveiled a new energy recovery and reuse boiler at its East Chicago facility on Monday which recycles waste gas generated through the ironmaking process and uses it to generate electricity to help power the plant.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) had previously awarded ArcelorMittal $31.6 million for the boiler project under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), a sum which the company matched.

“The company expects this energy recovery boiler to generate 333,000 megawatt hours of power annually of its own electricity, the equivalent of powering 30,000 American homes per year, and to save the facility nearly $20 million in energy costs each year,” according to a statement released on Monday.

“Through investments in energy-saving technologies, such as innovative energy recovery and reuse systems, the Administration is taking steps to strengthen American manufacturing and boosting energy efficiency for businesses across the nation,” said Senior Advisor Gil Sperling, senior advisor in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. “Cutting-edge energy efficiency projects help businesses cut costs, increase efficiency, and create strong, middle class jobs.”

An estimated 360 jobs were supported by the design, construction, and manufacturing of the equipment, most significantly the new boiler, which was made in Erie, Pa., by Indeck Keystone Energy. “The project also employed 200 local construction workers at the plant site,” the statement said. “In addition, the new boiler makes the Indiana Harbor plant, the largest steel manufacturing facility in North America, more competitive in the global steel market. Indiana Harbor employs approximately 6,000 workers.”

“The 504 Boiler Project at Indiana Harbor is a major step forward for Northwest Indiana jobs,” U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-1st, said. “With the new boiler, the facility will improve its internal power generation, reduce carbon emissions, and provide a reliable source of electric power for a lower price. Each of these efficiencies will improve competitiveness, which means good-paying jobs for Northwest Indiana workers.”

“This project also showcases one of many efforts outlined in President Obama’s Executive Order to accelerate and expand industrial energy efficiency with investments that reduce energy use through more efficient manufacturing technologies and processes,” the statement said. “This includes the expanded use of efficient, on-site energy recovery systems, as deployed by the ArcelorMittal project.”

Signed in August, the energy-efficiency efforts outlined in the Executive Order “could save manufacturers as much as $100 billion in energy costs over the next decade, improving their bottom lines and strengthening U.S. manufacturing competitiveness,” the statement said.

In addition, the Executive Order establishes a new national goal of 40 gigawatts of new combined heat and power (CHP) capacity—industrial waste heat capture systems—by 2020, a 50-percent increase from today. “Meeting this goal would save American industry $10 billion per year, could result in between $40 billion to $80 billion in new capital investment in manufacturing and other facilities that would create American jobs, and would reduce emissions equivalent to 25 million cars,” the statement said.

“The Energy Department's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy accelerates development and facilitates deployment of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies and market-based solutions which strengthen U.S. energy security, environmental quality, and economic vitality,” the statement said.