The world's first fossil-free steel building

Luleå Steel manufacturer SSAB and construction and civil engineering company Peab present the world's first building made of fossil-free steel together with SSAB's Finnish subsidiary Ruukki Construction. At the same time, SSAB and Sandvik have signed a letter of intent for deliveries of fossil-free steel to Sandvik's loaders and trucks.

The world's first building made of fossil-free steel will be built in Lund, Skåne in southern Sweden. It is the result of a collaboration between SSAB, Peab, Ruukki Construction and the real estate company Wihlborgs. The building's wall and roof structures have been designed and produced by Ruuki Construction, and parts of the building will be manufactured using SSAB's fossil-free steel from the Hybrit plant in Gällivare in Norrbotten. It is an industrial building of 6,000 square meters. Wihlborgs is the client and the tenant will be Inpac.

“It’s amazing to see what great steps forward can be taken with sustainable development when it’s done together with others – the project with Peab and Ruukki shows what is actually possible right now. For SSAB, it’s not just about reducing our own emissions with fossil-free steel, but also about contributing to reducing the carbon footprint in other parts of the value chain,” says Christina Friborg, Head of Sustainability at SSAB.

SSAB has also signed a letter of intent with Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions. SSAB will deliver fossil-free steel to be used in the production of Sandvik's loaders and trucks.

“We’re excited about supporting the sustainability journey of our customers in the mining industry. Fossil-free steel has the same high quality as traditional steel but with hardly any environmental impact. It will help to reduce our customers’ carbon footprint and offer a competitive advantage in the market,” says Johnny Sjöström, Head of SSAB Special Steels.

SSAB delivered the first steel made from hydrogen-reduced sponge iron in 2021. In the Hybrit project, SSAB is collaborating with mining company LKAB and energy company Vattenfall to develop a value chain for fossil-free iron and steel production. It replaces the coking coal traditionally needed for iron ore-based steel production with fossil-free electricity and hydrogen. The process virtually eliminates carbon dioxide emissions from steel production. By 2026, SSAB's steel made with Hybrit technology will be on the market.

Lennart Håkansson

editor@northswedenbusiness.com