SSAB Zero™ steel puts the circular economy into motion

SSAB Americas is partnering with The Greenbrier Companies and Alter Trading on a new circular steel project that follows recycled metals through the full life of steelmaking – from recycled steel to steel in Montpelier, Iowa, to use in newly manufactured railcars, and back again to bring recycled metals to steel production.

The project began in Iowa, where SSAB Zero™ steel was produced using recycled steel and fossil-free energy, resulting in near-zero fossil carbon emissions during production.

From there, the coil was transported to SSAB’s cut-to-length facility in St. Paul, and then traveled by rail to Greenbrier, where it’s being manufactured into 50 gondola railcars.

In late summer, those railcars will be delivered to Alter and used to transport recycled metals back to SSAB Iowa, where the material they carry will be melted into new steel.

The collaboration relies on documented production processes, physical logistics, and material traceability – without the use of offsets.

To help share this story more broadly, SSAB, Greenbrier and Alter are developing a social media and awareness campaign that will run through 2026. The campaign will include four videos documenting key moments of the project, from steel production to fabrication and reuse. It will culminate in a celebratory moment when a gondola railcar made from SSAB Zero™ arrives back at SSAB Iowa, filled with recycled metal ready to be made into new steel.

As the project continues, future updates will highlight fabrication, operational use, and the return of recycled metals to steelmaking.

The first chapter follows steelmaking at SSAB Iowa and the new steel heading to Greenbrier, with more to come across 2026.

SSAB Zero™ offers the same mechanical properties, performance, and quality as conventional SSAB steels, without relying on carbon offsets or mass-balance allocation.