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SSAB Oxelösund manufactured the first fossil fuel-free steel in June, in a partnership with mining company LKAB and power company Vattenfall. The Hybrit project replaces conventional coal and coke with hydrogen to decarbonise a notoriously polluting industry.
“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,” said Martin Lindqvist, president and CEO of SSAB. “We hope that this will inspire others to also want to speed up the green transition.”
In traditional processes, carbon or coke is used for ‘direct reduction’ of iron ore, removing oxygen from the material that mainly consists of different iron oxides. The ore is reduced to a porous, solid material of pure metallic iron – sponge iron – at temperatures below the melting point of iron.
In the Hybrit process, the reduction is done using fossil fuel-free hydrogen. The method is based on commercially proven natural gas direct reduction. When hydrogen reacts with iron oxide, water is formed instead of carbon dioxide. The water can then be reused for electrolysis in hydrogen production.
The world’s first hydrogen-reduced sponge iron was produced at Hybrit’s pilot plant in Luleå. It was then used to make steel, which was delivered to the Volvo Group.
“It’s a crucial milestone and an important step towards creating a completely fossil-free ‘value chain’, from mine to finished steel,” said Jan Moström, president and CEO of LKAB. “We’ve now shown together that it is possible, and the journey continues. By industrialising this technology in the future and making the transition to the production of sponge iron on an industrial scale, we will enable the steel industry to make the transition. This is the greatest thing we can do together for the climate.”
Anna Borg, president and CEO of Vattenfall, added: “Electrification is contributing to making fossil-free living possible within one generation.”
The partners hope to demonstrate the technology on an industrial scale by 2026. By using Hybrit technology, SSAB claimed it could reduce Sweden’s total carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 10%, and Finland’s by approximately 7%.
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