HYBRIT – a collaboration between SSAB, LKAB and Vattenfall

Coking coal has been an essential component in steel production for more than a thousand years. Today, this makes the sector one of the largest emitters of CO₂. Yet change is happening. HYBRIT (Hydrogen Breakthrough Ironmaking Technology) – a collaboration between steel producer SSAB, mining company LKAB and Vattenfall – started in 2017 and is aiming to transform the process by replacing coal with fossil-free hydrogen, creating a fossil-free future for steel production.

Construction of a pilot plant in Luleå, Sweden, began in 2018. This pilot plant was designed to test the new steel-making process that eliminates CO₂ emissions by replacing the coking coal (traditionally used in steel production to convert iron ore to iron) with hydrogen made from fossil-free electricity and water. A process called direct reduction will replace the conventional blast furnace process. The by-product will be water, which can in turn be recovered for the production of fossil-free hydrogen.  

In July 2021, SSAB Oxelösund rolled the first steel produced using HYBRIT technology with 100% fossil-free hydrogen instead of coal and coke. This milestone marked a significant step towards commercialising fossil-free steel, paving the way for large-scale production of fossil-free sponge iron at a future demonstration plant in Gällivare, planned by LKAB.

In the summer of 2022, the rock cavern pilot storage facility for fossil-free hydrogen in Luleå was inaugurated. The storage facility is an important part of the value chain for fossil-free iron and steel production.

A new steelmaking process to eliminate CO₂

HYBRIT can reduce Sweden’s CO₂ emissions by 10% and Finland’s by 7% if implemented at full-scale. The fossil-free process for steel manufacturing is planned to be scaled up from around 2027.

HYBRIT's ultimate goal is to dramatically reduce the industry's carbon footprint and support Sweden's ambitions for climate neutrality. Key challenges ahead include scaling up fossil-free hydrogen production and expanding renewable energy capacity, but the project's success could set a new global standard for sustainable steelmaking.