SSAB and Fortum start research to produce hydrogen-reduced sponge iron

The FEED (Front-End Engineering Design) study will investigate the possibilities of producing fossil-free sponge iron on an industrial scale and setting up a hydrogen production plant in Raahe. The study is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2024.

This initiative is a natural continuation of the joint research project FFS - Towards Fossil-Free Steel, which started in February 2021 and is supported by Business Finland.

In January 2022, SSAB's Board of Directors adopted a policy decision to transform Nordic strip production and make it largely carbon dioxide-free by around 2030. SSAB produced and delivered 500 tonnes of fossil-free steel during 2022.

In March 2023, SSAB took another important step by introducing SSAB Zero, a carbon dioxide-free steel based on recycled scrap and produced using fossil-free energy. When SSAB converts its Oxelösund mill, it will be able to use a flexible mix of fossil-free sponge iron and scrap as raw materials to produce steel without carbon dioxide emissions from the fourth quarter of 2026.