Sweden wants to be the first country in the world to bring fossil-free steel onto the market. A consortium made up of SSAB, the mining company LKAB and the energy company Vattenfall is working on the Hybrit project. The goal is to develop a completely fossil fuel-free chain: From the mine to the finished product.

Around 6,000 metric tonnes of iron are produced here every day. The end product – steel – is processed into cars and mining machinery. Today’s steel industry is anything but environmentally friendly. SSAB is currently the biggest polluter in Sweden’s industrial sector and responsible for roughly 14 percent of Sweden’s total CO2 emissions. On a global scale, the steel industry accounts for around 7 to 9 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions. But a world without steel does not seem to be an option for the time being. It is still one of the most important building blocks of the modern world. A good, affordable alternative is not in sight in the foreseeable future. So, the only other option seems to be to make the sector go green.

Hydrogen instead of coking coal

The pilot plant is also in Luleå, not far from its pollution-causing counterpart. This is where experiments are taking place by replacing coking coal – made from solid coal – with hydrogen. Instead of CO2, this process only releases water. Vattenfall is supplying the hydrogen.

Keep reading on The Brighter Side of News

Check out more news below: