SSAB’s HYBRIT® technology, developed in partnership with the mining expert LKAB and Vattenfall, is known for its green hydrogen and fossil-free electricity in place of coking coal to produce steel, eliminating the carbon emissions.
SSAB has signed an agreement with global construction equipment maker Putzmeister to provide future fossil-free steel for products like concrete pump trucks and mixers. With the construction and manufacturing sectors contributing to global carbon emissions, collaborative efforts are important.
Strenx®, a high-strength structural steel, and Hardox® wear plates from SSAB used in new and innovative ways, contributed to Putzmeister developing a very strong and lightweight truck chassis, pump crane booms and concrete mixer drums. The lighter machines enhance performance while also lowering the carbon footprint.
According to reports, the agreement by the two companies will initiate further plans, such as replacing the conventional steel with HYBRIT® technology- produced steel, reducing the carbon footprints, as it emits water as the main by-product instead of CO2.
“We are delighted to welcome Putzmeister as a new global partner. By choosing steel produced with HYBRIT® technology, Putzmeister is demonstrating that it is possible to reduce the carbon footprint of construction equipment while keeping the same high quality of steel,” said Thomas Hörnfeldt, VP of Sustainable Business at SSAB.
“Reducing the carbon footprint of our construction equipment is one of Putzmeister’s key priorities for the future. By partnering with SSAB, we will be able to offer construction equipment with a significantly lower carbon footprint and set a new standard for efficient and sustainable construction,” says Alexander Diez, Head of Group GRC & Sustainability at Putzmeister.
Traditional steel production is responsible for approximately 7% of global CO2 emissions, with primary and recycled steel production contributing to these emissions. SSAB’s innovations are aimed at enabling steel production with close to zero fossil carbon emissions, using both scrap and primary iron ore as raw material. In 2021, they produced the world’s first fossil-free steel using the concept of HYBRIT® technology, making several pilot deliveries to customers in different industries.