SSAB has now produced the world’s first fossil-free steel and delivered it to a customer. 

The Swedish venture Hybrit rolled the first steel with 100% fossil-free hydrogen instead of coal and coke in July.

It is now being delivered to the first customer, the Volvo Group.

Martin Lindqvist, president and CEO of SSAB said: “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. 

“We hope that this will inspire others to also want to speed up the green transition.”

Minister of Trade and Industry of Sweden Ibrahim Baylan said: “Industry and especially the steel industry create large emissions but are also an important part of the solution.

“To drive the transition and become the world’s first fossil-free welfare state, collaboration between business, universities and the public sector is crucial. 

“The work done by SSAB, LKAB and Vattenfall within the framework of HYBRIT drives the development of the entire industry and is an international model.”

SSAB, LKAB and Vattenfall created Hybrit, Hydrogen Breakthrough Ironmaking Technology, in 2016, with the aim of developing a technology for fossil-free iron- and steelmaking. 

In June 2021, the three companies were able to showcase the world’s first hydrogen-reduced sponge iron produced at HYBRIT’s pilot plant in Luleå. 

This first sponge iron has since been used to produce the first steel made with this breakthrough technology.

The goal is to deliver fossil-free steel to the market and demonstrate the technology on an industrial scale as early as 2026. 

Using HYBRIT technology, SSAB has the potential to reduce Sweden’s total carbon dioxide emissions by approximately ten per cent and Finland’s by approximately seven per cent.