![](images/Logos/IFLS%20Logo.jpg)
The Drive For Fossil-Free Steel Is Looking To
Revolutionize The Industry
Traditional steel-making has a heavy carbon footprint,
but Swedish steel company SSAB has been working all-out to change
that.
June 05,
2023
By Tom Hale
![](images/images_06_13_2023/ssab-l%20copy.jpg)
One of the EAF (Electric Arc Furnace)
graphite electrodes when producing SSAB Zero™ steel at SSAB Iowa, USA.
Image courtesy of SSAB.
It’s impossible to imagine today’s world – and the future – without
steel. From the cars we drive to the buildings we live and work in,
this invaluable alloy is everywhere. Unfortunately, however,
traditional methods of steel manufacturing and recycling come with a
heavy carbon footprint. With the climate crisis ever-heating up and
calls for action mounting, the need for sustainable steel has never
been so important.
That’s why Swedish steel company SSAB has
been working hard to reinvent the processes of making and recycling
steel to ensure it’s as free of fossil fuels as possible.
Their latest steel is SSAB ZeroTM,
the world’s first zero-emission steel that’s produced without
off-setting or volume allocation, while retaining all the desirable
qualities of traditional steel.
SSAB Zero is made from recycled steel. It’s produced using only an
electric arc furnace method that’s powered solely on fossil-free
electricity, meaning the process adds zero carbon emissions to the
planet’s atmosphere.
This technology has the potential to be a game changer for the US
steel industry, where scrap-based production in arc furnaces accounts
for 70 percent of steel production.
![](images/images_06_13_2023/hybrit-building-steel-work-building-against-a-blue-cloud-sky-l%20copy.jpg)
HYBRIT pilot plant in Luleå, Sweden where the world’s
first fossil-free sponge iron was produced.
Image courtesy of SSAB.
The story of SSAB’s push for “green steel” began in
2016 when they started the development of SSAB Fossil-freeTM steel.
Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon, loved by engineers
because it’s durable, adaptable, and strong. To make it, iron needs to
be separated from oxygen and impurities while a small amount of carbon
needs to be added.
Conventionally, this is an energy-intensive process that’s
fundamentally remained unchanged for centuries: coal and coke are
placed in a blast furnace and raised to very hot temperatures to
remove oxygen from the iron ore.
Using what is called the HYBRIT® technology, SSAB pioneered a
way to make this process significantly more friendly to the
environment. It starts with iron ore pellets (sourced using
fossil-free mining) and uses hydrogen instead of coal and coke in the
ore reduction process, emitting water as a by-product instead of
carbon dioxide.
By 2021, SSAB was able to use the HYBRIT® technology to deliver
the world’s first fossil-free steel plates to a customer.
In 2023, the company set its sights on launching SSAB Zero,
which looked to broaden its portfolio by offering a sustainable method
to recycle steel.
SSAB Zero is described as a near-zero emission steel, but not a
completely fossil-free process because the raw material is recycled
steel that was originally produced with coal. The company aims to be
totally transparent about that, as well as any remaining small carbon
emissions that sneak into their work. They’ve even got a third-party
verified carbon footprint to showcase that no corners are being cut.
In terms of production, the aim of the company is to make over
40,000 tonnes of SSAB Zero in 2023, scaling that up to around 100,000
tonnes in 2025. Large industrial companies have already signed
delivery agreements for this steel at launch.
“We are proud to already today be able to strengthen our
portfolio with SSAB Zero as we see increasing customer demand for
steels with low emissions,” said Martin Lindqvist, SSAB’s president
and CEO.
“By further enhancing steelmaking processes, we will provide a
comprehensive offering with zero emissions while reducing the impact
on the planet,” continued Lindqvist.
With both SSAB Zero and SSAB Fossil-free steel, the company is
offering the potential to make sustainable steel from both iron ore
and recycled steel without dumping tonnes of carbon emissions into our
Earth’s atmosphere and heating up our planet.
Green Play Ammonia™, Yielder® NFuel Energy.
Spokane, Washington. 99212
www.exactrix.com
509 995 1879 cell, Pacific.
exactrix@exactrix.com
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