Nordic and the US-based steel company SSAB has announced its production and delivery of the world's first fossil-free steel.
The company said that the trial delivery is an essential step on the way to a completely fossil-free value chain for iron- and steelmaking and a milestone in the HYBRIT - Hydrogen Breakthrough Ironmaking Technology partnership between SSAB, LKAB and Vattenfall.
It may be recalled that last July, SSAB Oxelosund rolled the first steel produced using HYBRIT technology, which reduced by 100% fossil-free hydrogen instead of coal and coke, with good results. The steel is now being delivered to the first customer, the Volvo Group.
SSAB, LKAB and Vattenfall created HYBRIT in 2016 to develop a fossil-free iron and steelmaking technology. In June 2021, the three companies showcased the world's first hydrogen-reduced sponge iron produced at HYBRIT's pilot plant in Lulea. This first sponge iron has since been used to produce the first steel made with this breakthrough technology.
The goal is to deliver fossil-free steel to the market and demonstrate the technology on an industrial scale as early as 2026. Using HYBRIT technology, SSAB can reduce Sweden's total carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 10% and Finland's by about 7%.
SSAB has production plants in Sweden, Finland and the USA. SSAB is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and has a secondary listing on Nasdaq Helsinki.
Martin Lindqvist, President and CEO, SSAB, said the first fossil-free steel in the world is not only a breakthrough for SSAB; it represents proof that it's possible to make the transition and significantly reduce the global carbon footprint of the steel industry. 'We hope that this will inspire others to also want to speed up the green transition,' he added.
Ibrahim Baylan, Minister of Trade and Industry of Sweden, said, 'Industry and especially the steel industry create large emissions but are also an important part of the solution. To drive the transition and become the world's first fossil-free welfare state, collaboration between business, universities and the public sector is crucial. The work done by SSAB, LKAB and Vattenfall within the framework of HYBRIT drives the development of the entire industry and is an international model.'