Other news

HYBRIT’s next step receives support from Swedish Energy Agency

HYBRIT, Fossil-free steel
October 05, 2020 9:00 CEST
HYBRIT’s next step receives support from Swedish Energy Agency
The Swedish Energy Agency has decided to contribute SEK 22 million in support to HYBRIT - SSAB’s, LKAB’s and Vattenfall’s joint initiative for fossil-free steel – for a comprehensive feasibility study. The study is part of the work on the planned demonstration plant, which is an important link in the development of an overall fossil-free steel value chain.

The pilot plant for the hydrogen direct reduction of iron ore started operation in Luleå on 31 August. Preparations will now start on scaling up the tests further on an industrial scale in a demonstration plant. The Swedish Energy Agency has now granted HYBRIT Development AB part financing of SEK 22 million for a study to establish the prerequisites for the demonstration plant. Among other things, the study will shed light on design, plant design, choice of technology, logistics solutions and not least, location.

“We are very pleased to once again receive support from the Swedish Energy Agency in our unique cooperation to create a fossil-free value chain,” says Andreas Regnell, Chairman of the Board of HYBRIT Development AB and Senior Vice President Strategic Development at Vattenfall.

Since the process and concept are both complex and extensive, to imitate the industrial process as much as possible and among other things to determine the choice of technology requires a so-called demonstration to be carried out.

“Demo-scale studies, in which this project is the first step, are needed before the step can be taken to large-scale industrial implementation. The blast furnaces in the steel industry account for a large share, around 10% of fossil carbon dioxide emissions in Sweden. This is a significant step in Swedish industry’s transition to cutting greenhouse gas emissions,” says Klara Helstad, Head of the Sustainable Industry unit at the Swedish Energy Agency.

The plan is to start building the demonstration plant in 2023 and the goal is to start operating the plant in 2025. The idea is to be able to demonstrate full-scale production with a capacity of just over one million tonnes of iron a year. This is about a fifth of LKAB’s total processing capacity in Malmberget and approaches half of the production capacity of SSAB’s blast furnace in Luleå. The goal is to be the first in the world, already in 2026, with a fossil-free steel value chain.

Category and tags

Related articles

Feb 27Other news
HYBRIT
Fossil-free steel

HYBRIT's pilot project for hydrogen gas storage has now been completed and reported to the Swedish Energy Agency. The results show that it is technically possible to store fossil-free hydrogen gas...

Jan 24Other news
HYBRIT
Fossil-free steel

Fossil-free iron- and steelmaking initiative HYBRIT received the World Economic Forum's ‘Moving Force in Business’ Award. This GAEA award, one of five, recognizes sustainable business solutions that...

Nov 26Other press releases
HYBRIT
Fossil-free steel

SSAB has reached a collaboration agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS) for deliveries of fossil-free steel. The collaboration includes pilot supplies of fossil-free steel, made with the unique...