SSAB aims to create a fossil-free value chain together with our partners and customers and secure our position as the driving force in the green transition of the steel industry. Already in 2021, we delivered the first fossil-free steel, a steel made from hydrogen-reduced iron produced at HYBRIT´s pilot plant in Luleå Sweden, to a customer. In 2026, we plan to bring fossil-free steel to market as a commercial product.
Development at SSAB of the world’s first-ever fossil-free steel is moving fast. Discover how patenting the technology will benefit future partners and increase global impact.
Sweden’s SSAB and South Korea’s POSCO are showing the way towards a greener future, co-hosting a global forum and promoting inspirational knowledge exchange.
Fossil free means that a product or service has been created without using fossil fuels or fossil raw materials. Fossil-free steel is made without creating carbon emissions and by using fossil-free energy sources. All of the iron ore used in SSAB Fossil-free™ steel will come from fossil-free mining in the future.
The first step in making steel is to turn iron ore into iron by removing the oxygen. This has traditionally been done using coal and coke in the blast furnace process. However, this step will now be done using hydrogen gas through the HYBRIT process. The byproduct of this process is water, not CO2. Fossil-free electricity will be used to produce hydrogen from water via electrolysis. The end result of the HYBRIT process is solid iron (sponge iron) which is then melted in an electric arc furnace. Across the entire process, only fossil-free electricity and fuels will be used – resulting in fossil-free steel as an end product.
SSAB has invested heavily in fossil-free steel and as part of this, the production process will be documented in an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). EPDs are third-party reviewed and follow strict European and international standards.
Fossil-free steel will have the same properties and quality as its traditionally produced counterpart, so it will perform in the same way in all industrial applications. Fossil-free steel will match the current standards of steel and will be suitable for use just as today’s steel.
Fossil-free steel is a premium product with a higher price than regular fossil-based steel products. The main cost-drivers for fossil-free steel are the investments in production and infrastructure, to switch from coal to fossil-free electricity and hydrogen, from natural gas to biogas, and from iron ore pellets to HYBRIT sponge iron.
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HYBRIT is a unique research initiative with its eye on the future. In the research library, you may find relevant articles and reports to get more in-depth knowledge about the production of fossil-free iron ore pellets.
The Eiffel Tower is made from 7 300 tonnes of steel. Using standard steel production methods, can you guess what its carbon footprint would be?
Read about how SSAB is changing the game with sustainable steel production.
Eco friendly cars are changing. With collaborations in the automotive and steel industry joining major players together, the dream of a carbon-neutral car is getting closer.
Sustainable product lifecycles are key if automotive companies are to realize growth ambitions while also meeting green production targets. Fossil-free steel from SSAB can play a pivotal role in helping the automotive industry become sustainable.
Volvo Group and SSAB have signed a collaboration agreement on research, development, serial production and commercialization of the world’s first vehicles to be made of fossil-free steel.
Globalization and free trade have rapidly transformed the way we live, work, and do business. Supply chains and transportation networks that criss-cross the globe have enabled great improvements in standards of living.
The interest in “green steel” is increasing. But when no official definition exists, how do you know if you’re a victim of greenwashing?
Fossil-free steel has the same characteristics as traditional steel. You won’t notice any difference, but the planet will.
Pressure to be more sustainable is being exerted at both ends of the supply chain, according to Professor Fredrik N G Andersson from Lund University.
In 2026 we will produce fossil-free steel. Our footprint will fall dramatically to zero. And the great thing with this is that everything made with SSAB steel will have a far lower footprint.
The key to achieving sustainably built cities is using better construction materials, such as fossil-free steel and bio-based coatings.
What are the technical challenges involved in fossil-free steel? Will there be fossil-free steel for all products? There was tremendous interest and a host of questions when we organized a webinar about fossil-free steel this spring. On September 30, we will therefore be hosting a new webinar, in which we will answer the most frequently asked questions and give you an in-depth look at our journey towards fossil-free steel. Don’t miss it!
SSAB is taking the lead in reducing the carbon footprint of the steel industry and is aiming to launch the world's first fossil-free steel by around 2026. But how does fossil-free steel production actually work? And what's the difference between green steel and fossil-free steel? Welcome to a fact-packed webinar to help you learn more about SSAB's fossil-free steel production.
Learn how SSAB's environmental product declarations, EPDs for short, work and how you can use them to see the environmental impact your product has throughout an entire life cycle. Plus, expand your knowledge on how the new steel processing technology HYBRIT produces fossil-free steel. Welcome to a fact-packed webinar with SSAB on the topic of sustainability.
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