The partners behind a project aiming to develop the world’s first fossil-free hydrogen-powered steel plant will participate in the Climate Week and UN Climate Action Summit in New York next week.
The Hybrit (Hydrogen breakthrough ironmaking technology) initiative, owned by Swedish power company Vattenfall, Swedish-Finnish firm SSAB and Swedish mining corporation LKAB, will replace coal with fossil-free electricity and hydrogen to eliminate CO2 emissions and help the world mitigate climate change.
In today’s ore-based steelmaking process, iron ore pellets are converted into metallic iron by reduction in a blast furnace. The iron oxide and carbon then react to form CO2 gases, as well as metallic iron. The iron is further processed before a semi-finished steel product is produced.
The Hybrit process is based on direct reduction of iron ore using fossil-free electricity and hydrogen. Hydrogen is produced by electrolysis of water using fossil-free electricity. The hydrogen reacts with the oxygen in the iron ore and metallic iron and H2O (water vapor) is formed.
One of the prioritised action areas identified by the United Nations (UN) is the transformation of industry, and especially the so-called hard-to-abate sectors, such as steel. The steel industry is one of the highest CO2-emitting industries, accounting for 7% of CO2 emissions globally and 10% in Sweden.
SSAB, LKAB and Vattenfall will bring the message that net-zero emission is possible for the iron and steel industry and energy sector. All three companies will participate in events prior to the Climate Action Summit and during Climate Action Week. SSAB President and CEO Martin Lindqvist is invited to speak at the climate meeting, on 23rd September.
“The steel industry is seen as one of the “hard to abate” sectors but we firmly believe that net zero emissions are possible,” explained Lindqvist. “That’s why we took the initiative to create Hybrit.”
“Fossil-free steel has tremendous potential and could help many customer segments to truly become fossil-free. We believe that industry transition is positive both for the climate and for our industry’s competitiveness.”
Jan Moström, LKAB President and CEO, said, “I think we can argue that Hybrit is one of the most ambitious industrial transition projects globally today.”
“All three companies have made commitments to be fossil-free already by 2045. We have a concrete timetable and through HYBRIT we have started construction and made investments to begin the transition. And we’re doing this with support from the Swedish government and together with academia.”
Magnus Hall, Vattenfall President and CEO, added, “We want to inspire others to take on a value-chain approach. Real change and new business opportunities require cooperation.”
“Also, we hope large scale fossil-free hydrogen production and storage will enable us to find value-added for the renewable and fossil-free energy system and other industries.”
Find out more about the Hybrit project in the upcoming first ever print edition of H2 View. To subscribe to receive the first copy for free, click here.
Find out more about the Hybrit project in the upcoming first ever print edition of H2 View. To subscribe to receive the first copy for free, click here.
