SSAB, LKAB and Vattenfall have taken a decisive step towards fossil-free steel production with the launch of HYBRIT's globally unique fossil-free sponge iron pilot plant. Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Loewen launched the plant with Martin Lindqvist, President and CEO of SSAB, Jan Moström, President and CEO of LKAB, and Magnus Hall, President and CEO of Vattenfall. SSAB, LKAB and Vattenfall aim to create a complete value chain for fossil-free steel.
A little over 2 years ago, on 20 June 2018, the ground was laid to commemorate the start of construction of a Pilot Non-Fossil Iron Sponge Iron (DRI / HBI) plant with financial support from the Swedish Energy Agency. At the plant, HYBRIT will test the use of hydrogen for the direct reduction of iron ore in several phases. Hydrogen will be produced in a pilot plant by electrolysis of water with electricity that does not contain fossil hydrocarbons. The tests will take place between 2020 and 2024, first using natural gas and then hydrogen, so that production results can be compared. The HYBRIT framework also includes a full-scale effort to replace fossil oil with biological oil at one of LKAB's existing pellet plants in Malmberget for a trial period extending until 2021. Preparatory work is also underway for the construction of a hydrogen test storage facility at LKAB. to Svartoberget to Luleå,
The HYBRIT initiative can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 10% in Sweden and 7% in Finland, as well as contribute to the reduction of emissions of the steel industry in Europe and around the world. Today, the steel industry generates 7% of the world's total carbon dioxide emissions. With the help of HYBRIT, SSAB, LKAB and Vattenfall aim to create a value chain entirely fossilized from mine to finished steel and introduce a completely new technology using fossil-free hydrogen instead of coal and coke to reduce the oxygen content of iron ore. This means that ordinary water will be released instead of carbon dioxide.
