Time line for fossil-free steel production
The ambition is to largely eliminate carbon dioxide emissions in our own operations by around 2030.
Time line for fossil-free steel production
The first step towards fossil-free steel started with HYBRIT’s pilot plant at SSAB’s Luleå site. The plant was commissioned in 2020 and is the first of its kind, and this is where the process of reducing iron ore using fossil-free hydrogen gas is being developed. Next to this is an underground pilot plant for hydrogen storage, which has been in operation since 2022. In addition to the development of the pilot plant, HYBRIT is preparing a demonstration plant in Gällivare, at LKAB’s iron ore mine. The plan is to complete the demonstration plant in 2025, while at the same time converting SSAB’s blast furnace in Oxelösund into an electric arc furnace. This means that SSAB will be able to produce ore-based, fossil-free steel on a commercial scale in 2026.
Accelerate the green transition
SSAB has taken a strategic decision to fundamentally transform the Nordic strip production system and accelerate our green transition. The background to this is the strong growth in demand for fossil-free steel. The plan is to replace the existing system with so-called mini-mills, which provide a wider product range and an improved cost situation. The ambition is to largely eliminate carbon dioxide emissions in our own operations by around 2030, 15 years ahead of the previously communicated plan. To make it possible to implement this, the necessary infrastructure must be in place on time, especially access to fossil-free electricity.
New Nordic production system
This strategic decision means that the plants in Luleå and Raahe will be converted into cost-efficient mini-mills, with electric arc furnaces and rolling mills, and the plants in Borlänge and Tavastehus will be further developed for the new production processes. The transition will be taking place over the next ten years. A first step will be to develop a more detailed implementation plan for each production site. The order in which the sites will be converted will depend on, among other things, the availability of necessary infrastructure, primarily access to competitive electricity.
