HYBRIT (Hydrogen Breakthrough Ironmaking Technology), aims to develop the first value chain for fossil-free steel, with fossil-free electricity and hydrogen. The ambitious collaboration between SSAB, LKAB, and Vattenfall, focuses on plans to transition from its successful pilot phase towards industrial-scale production in the coming years.
The initiative aims to reduce Sweden’s carbon dioxide emissions by at least 10 percent, establishing a global benchmark for sustainable steelmaking. By eliminating the reliance on fossil fuels, HYBRIT promises to transform the industry while contributing significantly to global decarbonization goals.
The GAEA award, with over 120 initial nominations, has an expert independent jury and selects five transformative initiatives driving systemic change worldwide. HYBRIT is one of the five, recognized sustainable business solutions identified to have the potential to transform whole sectors, industries, or markets. This acknowledgment is said to be important for the groundbreaking collaboration and journey the team has undertaken with SSAB and Vattenfall.
“The results show that the HYBRIT process works and that we are well positioned for the next step of industrializing the technology and establishing a competitive value chain for the fossil-free iron- and steelmaking of the future”, Jan Moström, President and CEO of LKAB commented in an official report.
“These five partnerships stood out for their potential to drive system-wide transformation by mobilizing multi-sector collaborators and integrating equity, inclusion, and just transition principles into all their activities and objectives,” said André Hoffmann, chair of the jury.
CEO and President of Vattenfall, Anna Borg, believes that putting sustainability at the core of their business strategy and partnering with SSAB and LKAB has been crucial for its success, and the results were better than the expectations. They stated the vision for climate change and how they see it as a driving force of a growing economy.