To contribute to a greener future, we need to pull together. HYBRIT is a collaborative initiative between SSAB, LKAB and Vattenfall. With financial support from the Swedish Energy Agency, HYBRIT is developing processes and conditions to produce the fossil-free steels of the future.
HYBRIT will revolutionize the iron and steel industry.
SSAB, LKAB and Vattenfall have started HYBRIT (Hydrogen Breakthrough Ironmaking Technology) to develop a fossil-free value chain for iron and steel production using fossil-free electricity and hydrogen, thus minimizing the carbon dioxide emissions throughout the value chain. The HYBRIT technology involves replacing the blast furnace process, which uses carbon and coke to remove the oxygen from iron ore, with a direct reduction process where fossil-free hydrogen produced from water using electricity from fossil-free energy sources is being used. Instead of carbon dioxide, water vapor is formed. HYBRIT is thus creating the world’s first fossil-free reduction of iron ore to give sponge iron, a central step for fossil-free iron and steel production. Success requires research, development, and cooperation.
Innovation and cooperation
The Swedish iron and steel industry is already climate-efficient by international standards, but that’s not enough. For this reason, the HYBRIT initiative was started by SSAB, LKAB and Vattenfall, with financial support from the Swedish Energy Agency. The goal is a unified, unique value chain, from mine to fossil-free steel. The steel industry currently accounts for about ten percent of Sweden’s carbon dioxide emissions and seven percent of the global emissions. HYBRIT will change this, thanks to their ongoing research and innovation.