Vattenfall-led hydrogen-fuelled steel to take step towards industrial scale

HYBRIT initiative of Swedish utility, steel company SSAB and mining firm LKAB presents report to Swedish Energy Agency after six years of research and semi-industrial projects

Fossil-free pellet and sponge iron.
Fossil-free pellet and sponge iron.Photo: HYBRIT

The HYBRIT initiative by Swedish utility Vattenfall, steel company SSAB and mining firm LKAB has presented the results of six years of research in a final report to the Swedish Energy Agency, and said the project will now continue to be implemented on an industrial scale.

Since 2016, the companies have collaborated to show how a fossil-free value chain from iron ore to steel can work on a semi-industrial scale by eliminating carbon dioxide emissions in the steel industry through replacing coal and coke in the production of iron with fossil-free hydrogen and electricity.
Vattenfall didn't specify, whether the electricity used at HYBRIT to produce hydrogen comes from renewable sources only. A company press official had told Recharge earlier that Vattenfall projects usually source their power from the NordPool electricity wholesale market that sells power, which is more than 98% fossil-free, but may contain nuclear power as well next to renewable electricity.

The transition to HYBRIT technology is expected to reduce the Nordic country’s CO2 emissions by more than 10%.

“It is very gratifying to see the positive results of our targeted cooperation, partnership is a recipe for success,” said Andreas Regnell, head of strategic development at Vattenfall and board member of Hybrit Development.

“The next step involves scaling up to an industrial scale where fossil-free electricity and hydrogen are what enable the transition to a future where it is possible for everyone to transport, produce and live fossil-free.”

HYBRIT Development general manager Ulf Spolander added: “The focus of HYBRIT's technical development has been to build competence and create technical conditions for the implementation of a fossil-free process in full-scale production.

“We are very happy that as a team we were able to deliver successful results that reached or exceeded set project goals.

“The knowledge and experience we developed during the course of the project will now be focused on continuing technology development, primarily to support the industrialisation of the owner companies.”

Next steps include LKAB’s planned demonstration plant in Gällivare, and a pilot project for storing fossil-free hydrogen in Svartöberget in the northern Swedish city of Luleå which is slated to continue until 2026.
The HYBRIT project has been supported by the EU’s Innovation Fund and by the Industriklivet support programme of the Swedish Energy Agency. It is also part of the EU’s Hy2Use hydrogen project that was granted Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI) status by the EU.
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Published 27 August 2024, 08:31Updated 27 August 2024, 09:10
EuropeSwedenVattenfallSSAB