A project called Hybrit is aiming to revolutionize the iron and steelmaking by removing fossil fuels from the process.
The initiative says it is developing methods to replace coking coal, which is traditionally needed for ore-based steelmaking, with hydrogen.
Executives involved in the project will be presenting a number of seminars at Hannover Messe next week.
Leading companies from the industry – such as SSAB, LKAB and Vattenfall – plan to replace coking coal with fossil-free electricity and hydrogen, developing what would be the world’s first fossil-free steelmaking technology.
Emissions from the steel and iron production will be water vapor instead of carbon dioxide.
Hybrit will be explaining more about its initiative in the Swedish Pavilion, hall 27 at booth H30, at Hannover Messe.
The steel industry is one of the highest CO2-emitting industries, accounting for 7 percent of CO2 emissions globally and 10 percent in Sweden.
A growing global population and an expanding urbanization are expected to trigger a rise in global steel demand and by 2050 steel use is projected to increase 1.5 times compared to today.
Even if the level of recycled scrap will increase it will not be enough to meet the total global demand.
We will need to produce steel from virgin iron ore also in the future. The carbon footprint in the steel industry is thus a challenge for Europe and the rest of the world.
Therefore, SSAB, one of global leaders in high-strength steels, LKAB, Europe’s largest iron ore producer, and Vattenfall, one of Europe’s largest electricity producers, created Hybrit, joined in a determination to contribute to a more sustainable society.
Hybrit is short for Hydrogen Breakthrough Ironmaking Technology. What makes Hybrit unique, is that the project aims to solve the root cause of the problem, by replacing coking coal, traditionally needed for iron ore-based steelmaking, with fossil-free electricity and hydrogen.
“The result will be the world’s first fossil-free steelmaking technology,” says a spokesperson. “We will go from CO2 to H2O as byproduct.”
The three owners of Hybrit have, together with the Swedish Energy Agency, decided to invest about 1.4 billion SEK in a world-unique pilot facility for fossil free steel has started to be built in Luleå north of Sweden and soon the construction of a fossil-free pilot plant for pellets will be built in Malmberget.
Hybrit will participate at following seminars:
Monday April 1st 3.30 pm – 4.20 pm: Hybrit – a fossil free initiative that revolutionize iron- and steelmaking – meet the CEOs behind the idea – Co-Lab stage, Magnus Hall, CEO at Vattenfall, Martin Lindqvist, CEO at SSAB, and Jan Moström, CEO at LKAB, will be gathered for a session at the Co-Lab stage for a seminar/press meeting.
Tuesday April 2nd, 10 am: Innovative Swedish partnerships to reach a fossil free future – Inspirational stage. Seminar together with Fossil Free Sweden, Swedish Energy Agency and others – Jan Moström, CEO at LKAB, Andreas Regnell, Senior Vice President of Strategic Development at Vattenfall, Martin Pei, chariman at Hybrit development, and CTO SSAB and Klara Helstad, head sustainable industry unit at the Swedish Energy Agency, will talk about Hybrit.
Wednesday April 3rd, 4 pm – 5:30 pm: “Afternoon Session” – Energy Pavilion
Mikael Nordlander, head of R&D portfolio industry decarbonization at Vattenfall, to present Hybrit.
Thursday April 4th, 10 am: Becoming fossil f to increase competitiveness – Inspirational stage. Mårten Görnerup, CEO at Hybrit, to present Hybrit in a session together with Fossil Free Sweden amongst others.
