Hydrogen is leading a new race in the ecological transition and has become the main goal of the European Union. However, the United States has lagged in this trend. This continent has asked us to help it explore its deposits, and now we will invest billions.
This country has adopted hydrogen en masse: it has more projects to develop it than the entire US
Sweden is set to become home to the world’s first fossil-free steel plant that eliminates the use of coking coal in the steelmaking process. Instead, the HYBRIT pilot project will rely on hydrogen produced via renewable energy to reduce iron ore to iron in a direct reduction process.
This innovative technology demonstrates the potential for green steel production that reduces carbon emissions dramatically. While hydrogen has been explored as an alternative to metallurgical coal for decades, this will be the first commercial-scale renewable hydrogen-based steel plant in the world.
The potential environmental benefits are substantial. Steel production accounts for 7-9% of global carbon emissions due to its heavy reliance on metallurgical coal in conventional blast furnace processes.
Shifting to hydrogen derived from renewable energy would virtually eliminate carbon emissions from steel production. The HYBRIT pilot project results from a joint venture formed in 2016 between steelmaker SSAB, iron ore producer LKAB, and Swedish state-owned power company Vattenfall.
Sweden asks US for help: how we will intervene in its hydrogen industry
The renewable hydrogen-based steel mill, built by the Swedish steelmaker SSAB in northern Sweden, has contracted American engineering firm Fluor Corporation to help build a fossil-free hydrogen plant and integrate it into steel production.
Fluor was selected for its expertise in engineering, procurement and construction management after a competitive bidding process. It will be responsible for building the hydrogen plant that will provide renewable hydrogen to directly reduce iron ore and replace coking coal in the steelmaking process.
This will reduce carbon emissions by 95% compared to traditional methods. Fluor’s role highlights its capabilities in renewable energy and working with new technologies like fossil-free steel production.
The project represents a major milestone as the world’s first industrial-scale steel production without coal. Fluor’s involvement demonstrates that America’s major engineering firms have the knowledge and capacity to construct complex renewable hydrogen infrastructure.
With the EU taking the lead in green steel, Fluor’s role shows that US firms can play an important part in making breakthrough zero-carbon technologies a reality.
The metal industry will go green: this is the innovative factory that will make it possible
The steel sector has previously used coal-based production to make steel by releasing much of its CO2 into the atmosphere. This brand-new steel mill wants to eliminate the use of fossil fuels such as coal and is dedicated to accomplishing this task.
On the other hand, the mill will use hydrogen as a reducing (electron donor) agent and energy source for iron ore reduction. Hydrogen can be generated through water electrolysis by renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind.
When hydrogen is burnt or used in industrial processes, the source directly provides zero carbon emissions. This makes it an ideal clean fuel for substituting coking coal for steam coal production.
Shifting to hydrogen embraces a total change of influence. While practicing hydrogen steelmaking is still in the field testing or pilot plant phase, it presents an opportunity for drastically reducing carbon emissions from the most carbon intensive industry sector.
As you can see, international energy cooperation will dominate in the coming decades. The hydrogen steel mill will demonstrate how it is possible to produce this type of material without polluting emissions. The European Union and the United States, with this project, will demonstrate that electricity was not enough.