SSAB’s Post

Forging the Future: The Rise of Green Steel The steel industry is going through one of the most exciting transitions in its history. From coal-based blast furnaces to hydrogen-driven and renewable-powered processes, steel is becoming brighter, cleaner, and genuinely sustainable. Our recent article, “Advancing Green Steel Technologies for Sustainable and Low-Carbon Steel Production,” explores how emerging pathways — hydrogen-based direct reduction (H₂-DRI), renewable-powered electric arc furnaces (EAF), and carbon capture and storage (CCS) — are transforming the industry’s carbon footprint. We compared emissions, energy use, and costs across global production routes and found impressive results: The traditional BF–BOF route emits about 2.3 tons of CO₂ per ton of steel. The hydrogen-based DRI–EAF route cuts that to 0.4–0.8 tons per ton. CCS integration adds another 60% reduction potential. But decarbonizing steel is not only about technology. It’s about economics, circularity, and collaboration. The next industrial revolution will be built on low-carbon materials — and steel is leading the way. Green steel is more than a concept; it’s the future being forged today. Read the full article in the International Journal of Professional Business Review: https://lnkd.in/dA4TbkKF #GreenSteel #Sustainability #HydrogenEconomy #Decarbonization #CircularEconomy #Research #Innovation Teixeira, R. L. P. (2025). ADVANCING GREEN STEEL TECHNOLOGIES FOR SUSTAINABLE AND LOW-CARBON STEEL PRODUCTION. International Journal of Professional Business Review, 10(10), e05666. https://lnkd.in/dA4TbkKF https://lnkd.in/dWFT-2mD

Forging a Green Future: How Finland and Sweden are Reinventing Steel The global steel industry, a cornerstone of modern infrastructure, is undergoing a monumental transformation. At the forefront of this revolution are Finland and Sweden, two Nordic nations pioneering the shift from carbon-intensive production to a fossil-free future. This transition isn't just an environmental necessity; it's a strategic reinvention driven by groundbreaking technology, ambitious collaboration, and forward-thinking regulation. Historically, the region's steelmakers relied on traditional blast furnaces (BF) and basic oxygen steelmaking (BOS)—efficient but significant sources of CO₂ emissions . Today, a new paradigm is taking shape, centered on two core innovations: hydrogen-based direct reduction of iron (DRI) and Electric Arc Furnaces (EAFs). Sweden is accelerating this change through the landmark HYBRIT initiative, a joint venture between SSAB, LKAB, and Vattenfall . This project replaces coking coal with fossil-free hydrogen to reduce iron ore, producing sponge iron with water as a byproduct instead of CO₂ . This "green" iron is then melted in EAFs powered by the region's abundant clean electricity . SSAB's plan to invest €4.5 billion in a new fossil-free mini-mill in Luleå is a testament to this commitment, which is expected to cut Sweden’s total CO₂ emissions by approximately 7% . Finland is following a similar path with a phased transition. SSAB's Raahe plant is set to replace its blast furnaces with EAF-based mini-mills, supported by robust R&D projects like Energy4HYBRIT, which explores fossil-free energy sources for steel processing . This industrial evolution is powerfully catalyzed by regulations like the European Green Deal and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which incentivize decarbonization and enhance the competitiveness of green steel . This dynamic exemplifies the Porter hypothesis, where stringent environmental standards drive innovation and create a competitive edge . The transformation in Finland and Sweden offers a compelling blueprint for the future of heavy industry. By leveraging technology, policy, and collaboration, they are not just making steel—they are forging a sustainable, competitive, and resilient industrial future. #GreenSteel #Decarbonization #Sustainability #Innovation #HYBRIT #SteelIndustry #FutureOfManufacturing

A step forward for low carbon steel in Europe 🏗️ German steelmaker, SHS - Stahl-Holding-Saar GmbH & Co. KGaA, has secured €1.7 billion to fund its Power4Steel transformation project. The Power4Steel project is an initiative aimed at reducing CO2e emissions by 55% by 2030, and reaching climate neutral steelmaking by 2045. The investment will finance new hydrogen ready direct reduction plants and electric arc furnaces at SHS's Dillingen and Völklingen sites, enabling production of up to 2.5 million tonnes of lower carbon steel annually by 2028/2029. #Decarbonisation #Steel #LowCarbonSteel #NetZero

Real change in heavy industry starts with bold ideas. Small modular reactors (SMRs) are one of those ideas—bringing clean, reliable energy to steelmaking processes that have traditionally been hard to decarbonize. It’s exciting to see how this could reshape the future of steel. In Hatch's latest blog, Herbert Lam and Richard MacRosty take a deep dive into how these SMRs could unlock a new era of sustainable steel production. They explore the technical challenges, the opportunities, and the innovative solutions that could make sustainable steel production a reality. If you’ve got questions about how clean energy and heavy industry can work together, this is a great read: 🔗https://ow.ly/y44q30sPE5c #SustainableSteel #SMRs #CleanEnergy #Decarbonization #Steelmaking #GreenSteel

September 29, 2025 — IJmuiden, The Netherlands Tata Steel Nederland has signed a letter of intent with the Dutch national government and the Province of North Holland to accelerate its transition toward low-carbon steel production at its IJmuiden site. The agreement paves the way for one of the largest industrial transformations in the Netherlands, combining massive technological investments with strong state and EU support. A Shift to DRI + EAF Technology At the core of the plan is the replacement of Blast Furnace 7 and the KGF2 coke plant with a Direct Reduction Iron (DRI) installation and Electric Arc Furnace (EAF). • The DRI facility will initially run on natural gas but is designed to switch to hydrogen once it becomes widely available. • Alongside, the company aims to increase scrap usage from ~17% to about 30%, reducing dependency on virgin iron ore. This transition is expected to cut CO₂ emissions by roughly 40% by 2030, with full carbon-neutrality targeted for 2045. Financing and Support The transformation requires billions in capital. Tata Steel Nederland is seeking up to €2 billion in state support, while also applying for about €300 million from the EU Innovation Fund. These funds are positioned as “catalysts” to de-risk the transition and secure long-term competitiveness of Dutch steelmaking. Environmental and Community Impact Beyond CO₂ reductions, the project includes measures to lower NOₓ, dust, odors, and noise emissions, directly addressing community concerns. The company has already gone through environmental impact assessments and public consultations with residents of IJmuiden and surrounding areas. #Steel #GreenSteel #TataSteel #Decarbonization #EAF #Hydrogen #FobbergMedia

𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱’𝘀 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝗮𝗿-𝗭𝗲𝗿𝗼-𝗘𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 Swedish steelmaker SSAB has produced the world's first near-zero CO₂e steel, set for use in GE Vernova’s onshore wind turbines. The steel – branded SSAB Zero – meets the International Energy Agency’s (IEA’s) near-zero steel and First Movers Coalition (FMC) thresholds, the first time any company has done so. FMC, a global initiative launched in 2021 by the World Economic Forum, aims to accelerate the decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors, such as steel production. The milestone was announced at GE Vernova’s annual wind supplier conference in Iowa, US, where the global energy firm said the steel would be used in its wind towers across the country. The steel, produced at SSAB’s Montpelier facility in Iowa, uses production techniques and materials that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from steelmaking. It is produced using ‘Hybrit’ technology, which uses recycled scrap metal and employs hydrogen-reduced iron, fossil-free electricity, biocoal and renewable natural gas. According to SSAB, adding hydrogen-reduced iron to the manufacturing process means the steel is able to meet the IEA’s stringent near-zero emissions threshold of 50-400 kg of CO₂-equivalent per tonne of crude steel, depending on the amount of scrap metal used as an input in the production process. SSAB Zero steel is commercially available and designed for end-use applications such as automotive, mining, agriculture, construction, heavy equipment, transportation and energy. In other SSAB news, the firm recently announced that it has started construction on a new steel mill in Luleå, Sweden. The new steel mill, equipped with two electric arc furnaces, will replace the current blast furnace-based production and is expected to eliminate approximately three million tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually, which constitutes around 7% of Sweden's total national emissions. With construction under way, SSAB is aiming for operations to commence at the end of 2029. In the UK, construction has begun on Tata Steel’s electric arc furnace at the Port Talbot plant, as UK steelmakers transition to low-carbon production. #Sustainability #RenewableEnergy #WindPower #GreenSteel #Decarbonization #NetZero #Innovation #EngineeringTheFuture #SustainableManufacturing

🌍 A Milestone for Fossil-Free Steel in Hydropower Vattenfall and SSAB are taking a bold step toward a fossil-free future. The largest steel component ever produced with near-zero fossil CO₂ emissions will soon be installed at Stornorrfors hydropower station in Sweden. ✅ What’s happening? ·      A 21m × 11m dam gate, weighing 120 tonnes, made from fossil-free steel ·      Steel produced using HYBRIT technology, virtually eliminating CO₂ emissions in iron production ·      Climate footprint reduced by ~200 tonnes of CO₂ compared to conventional steel ·      This project is more than maintenance—it’s a proof point for fossil-free value chains and a key step toward Vattenfall’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2040. Why it matters: ·      Hydropower is critical for a fossil-free energy system ·      The steel industry accounts for 7–9% of global CO₂ emissions ·      Innovations like HYBRIT can cut Sweden’s emissions by ~10% ·      Together, we’re building infrastructure that lasts for 100 years, without locking in fossil emissions. 👉 Learn more about HYBRIT and our commitment to fossil freedom: https://lnkd.in/esSEG6VA #FossilFree #Hydropower #SteelInnovation #EnergyTransition #Sustainability #Vattenfall #SSAB #HYBRIT

I’ve always believed that real change in heavy industry starts with bold ideas. Small modular reactors (SMRs) are one of those ideas—bringing clean, reliable energy to steelmaking processes that have traditionally been hard to decarbonize. It’s exciting to see how this could reshape the future of steel. In Hatch's latest blog, my colleagues Herbert Lam and Richard MacRosty take a deep dive into how these SMRs could unlock a new era of sustainable steel production. They explore the technical challenges, the opportunities, and the innovative solutions that could make sustainable steel production a reality. If you’ve got questions about how clean energy and heavy industry can work together, this is a great read: 🔗https://ow.ly/y44q30sPE5c #SustainableSteel #SMRs #CleanEnergy #Decarbonization #Steelmaking #GreenSteel

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻—𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 by Jonas Algers, Max Åhman, Lars J. Nilsson The #ParisAgreement necessitates global #netzero emissions by mid-century, including #steel industry #emissions that currently amount to about 7% of global #energysystem emissions. In this #article the authors review the #literature on steel #decarbonization. Steel industry emission #mitigation measures include reduced #demand through #materials #efficiency, increased high-quality #recycling, and #decarbonization of iron ore–based #primaryproduction. Low and decreasing #costs for #renewable #electricity make #greenhydrogen direct reduction an increasingly promising and preferred alternative for primary production of #iron, and there is growing #policysupport for demonstration and #deployment of low-carbon #steelmaking, particularly involving #hydrogen. Decarbonizing the global #steelindustry involves a #system transformation that must evolve in tandem with reduced #overcapacity, a phase-out of conventional steelmaking, and meeting increased demand in developing countries. A switch to #renewableenergy as a key input in steelmaking may give rise to new competitive advantages and industrial relocation, potentially exacerbating geopolitical tensions in the transition. While steel decarbonization #research previously focused on how to optimize the #fossilbased steel system, recent studies are oriented toward #transformation and #development of #alternatives. https://lnkd.in/d9TJsAyF (Annual Reviews)

Of all DRI projects planned in the European Union as of Q4 2024, approximately 40% (with a total capacity of 14 metric megatons per annum) are now on hold or canceled. At the same time, nearly 30% of the low-carbon steelmaking initiatives in Europe face delays or suspension. Both points highlight the growing challenges in advancing the EU’s decarbonization efforts for #steel, not in the least driven by low margins in the sector. #EU #decarbonization #europe #greensteel