International Steel Mills
HYBRIT Produces First Sponge Iron with Hydrogen Reduction
Written by Sandy Williams
June 22, 2021
SSAB and its green steel partners LKAB and Vattenfall claim to have made a major breakthrough in environmentally friendly steelmaking. The HYBRIT team said it has produced the world’s first hydrogen-reduced sponge iron, a major step toward fossil-free steel.
The HYBRIT pilot plant in Sweden – a joint project undertaken by steelmaker SSAB, iron ore miner and pellet producer LKAB, and power producer Vattenfall – has proven that it is possible to use fossil-free hydrogen gas to reduce iron ore instead of using coal and coke to remove the oxygen, the companies said. The process captures around 90% of the emissions from the steelmaking process. HYBRIT hopes to eliminate carbon dioxide emissions by using only fossil-free feedstock and fossil-free energy. Instead of CO2, the emissions will be water.
So far, around 100 metric tons of sponge iron has been produced. Production has been continuous and of good quality, said HYBRIT.
“This is the first time ever that hydrogen made with fossil-free electricity has been used in the direct reduction of iron ore at a pilot scale,” HYBRIT said in a press release.
The hydrogen used in the direct reduction process is generated by electrolysis of water with fossil-free electricity and can be used immediately or stored for later use. HYBRIT began work in May on building a pilot-scale hydrogen storage facility adjacent to the direct reduction pilot plant in Luleå.
“This technological breakthrough is a critical step on the road to fossil-free steel. The potential cannot be underestimated. It means that we can reach climate goals in Sweden and Finland and contribute to reducing emissions across Europe. At the same time, it creates new jobs and export successes. SSAB’s transition means we will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 10% in Sweden and 7% in Finland. High-strength fossil-free steel will also allow us to help our customers to strengthen their competitiveness. As early as this year, we will deliver minor quantities of steel made using hydrogen-based reduction to customers, and in 2026 we will deliver fossil-free steel at a large scale,” SSAB President and CEO Martin Lindqvist said.
By Sandy Williams, Sandy@SteelMarketUpdate.com
Sandy Williams
Read more from Sandy WilliamsLatest in International Steel Mills
CRU: Bids made for Ilva assets
The Italian government has received 10 offers for the former Ilva integrated steel works at Taranto, but only two bidders are interested in purchasing all of the company’s assets.
Global steel production declined through August
August marked the second-lowest monthly production rate this year, down 13% from the two-year high of 166.6 million mt in March.
Algoma Steel assesses viability of US sales in wake of 50% S232 tariffs
Canadian flat-rolled steelmaker Algoma Steel is reconsidering its presence in the US market after the doubling of US Section 232 tariffs on imported steel to 50%, a company spokeswoman said.
Nippon plans to double steel output at USS operations: Report
Now that it has acquired U.S. Steel, Nippon Steel is planning a significant expansion of its US operations, including the construction of a new mill and more than doubling its steel output.
Global steel mill output steady through May
Global raw steel production rose 2% from April to May, slightly above average production levels seen in recent months, according to data recently released by the World Steel Association (worldsteel).