The world’s first fossil-free hydrogen-powered steel plant located in northern Sweden will begin operations on Monday 31st August.

HYBRIT (Hydrogen Breakthrough Ironmaking Technology) is a groundbreaking effort to reduce CO2 emissions in the steel industry by replacing coal with hydrogen in the steelmaking process.

SSAB, LKAB and Vattenfall will begin the test operations of the pilot plant at an opening on Monday that will be attended by Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven.

History

In 2016, SSAB, LKAB and Vattenfall joined forces to create HYBRIT – an initiative that endeavours to revolutionise steelmaking.

HYBRIT aims to replace coking coal, traditionally needed for ore-based steelmaking, with hydrogen. The result would be the world’s first fossil-free steel production technology, with virtually no carbon footprint.

During 2018, work started on the construction of a pilot plant for fossil-free steel production in Luleå, Sweden, with a goal to have a solution for fossil-free steel by 2035.

If successful, the HYBRIT project alone could reduce Sweden’s carbon dioxide emissions by 10% and Finland’s by 7%, respectively.