World’s first fossil free steel may help reducing 3.7 billion tons of CO2 industry emits in 2022

The global annual crude steel production is forecasted 2 billion tons in 2022. The steel industry is estimated $2.5 trillion market, the use of fossil fuels means that the average CO₂ emissions from steel production is about 1.85 tonnes CO₂ per tonne. The steel produced in 2022 is projected to produce 3.7 billion tons of CO_{2 .}

Business taking a lead on climate change will not only make a direct contribution to emissions reduction, but will have the credibility and standing to invite staff, customers and suppliers to follow them, based on what they do, what they have pioneered, or the products and services they offer. It is these companies, recognizing the synergies between cutting GHG emissions and increased productivity and revenue, that will be the new future in business.

Albanian Minerals CEO Sahit Muja said, “The world’s mining remains energy intensive, most every process consumes fossil fuels and the demand for minerals continues to increase as they are vital to global developments, infrastructure, batteries, chips and devices powering the emerging energy transition, which continues to be on the stage of new revolution. Albanian Minerals is adapting to new environmental, social and   policies, in  a push to find more sustainable mining solutions to meet this growing demand by leading a revolution and driving toward carbon neutrality and sustainable mining”.

Albanian Minerals continues its efforts in developing solutions to reduce fuel consumption, and the resulting carbon dioxide emissions, in its mining equipment while continuing to research and develop cleaner technologies.

SSAB has now produced the world’s first fossil-free steel and delivered it to a customer. The trial delivery is an important step on the way to a completely fossil-free value chain for iron- and steelmaking and a milestone in the HYBRIT partnership between SSAB, LKAB and Vattenfall.

In 2022, SSAB Oxelösund rolled the first steel produced using HYBRIT technology, i.e., reduced by 100% fossil-free hydrogen instead of coal and coke, with good results. The steel is now being delivered to the first customer, the Volvo Group.

“The first fossil-free steel in the world is not only a breakthrough for SSAB, it represents proof that it’s possible to make the transition and significantly reduce the global carbon footprint of the steel industry. We hope that this will inspire others to also want to speed up the green transition,” says Martin Lindqvist, President and CEO of SSAB.

“Industry and especially the steel industry create large emissions but are also an important part of the solution. To drive the transition and become the world’s first fossil-free welfare state, collaboration between business, universities and the public sector is crucial. The work done by SSAB, LKAB and Vattenfall within the framework of HYBRIT drives the development of the entire industry and is an international model”, says Minister of Trade and Industry of Sweden Ibrahim Baylan.

“It’s a crucial milestone and an important step towards creating a completely fossil-free value chain from mine to finished steel. We’ve now shown together that it’s possible, and the journey continues. By industrializing this technology in the future and making the transition to the production of sponge iron on an industrial scale, we will enable the steel industry to make the transition. This is the greatest thing we can do together for the climate,” says Jan Moström, President and CEO of LKAB.“It’s very pleasing that the HYBRIT partnership is once more taking an important step forward and that SSAB can now produce the first fossil-free steel and deliver to the customer. This shows how partnerships and collaboration can contribute to reducing emissions and building competitiveness for industries. Electrification is contributing to making fossil-free living possible within one generation,” says Anna Borg, President and CEO of Vattenfall.