Toward a Fossil Free Future with HYBRIT: Development of Iron and Steelmaking Technology in Sweden and Finland

• Main Authors: Martin Pei, Markus Petäjäniemi, Andreas Regnell, Olle Wijk
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-07-01
• Series: Metals
• Subjects: fossil-free steel; hydrogen direct-reduced iron (H₂DRI); melting of H₂DRI in EAF (Electric Arc Furnace); hydrogen production by water electrolysis; hydrogen storage; grid balancing
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/10/7/972

The Swedish and Finnish steel industry has a world-leading position in terms of efficient blast furnace operations with low CO₂ emissions. This is a result of a successful development work carried out in the 1980s at LKAB (Luossavaara-Kiirunavaara Aktiebolag, mining company) and SSAB (steel company) followed by the closing of sinter plants and transition to 100% pellet operation at all of SSAB’s five blast furnaces. However, to further reduce CO₂ emission in iron production, a new breakthrough technology is necessary. In 2016, SSAB teamed up with LKAB and Vattenfall AB (energy company) and launched a project aimed at investigating the feasibility of a hydrogen-based sponge iron production process with fossil-free electricity as the primary energy source: HYBRIT (Hydrogen Breakthrough Ironmaking Technology). A prefeasibility study was carried out in 2017, which concluded that the proposed process route is technically feasible and economically attractive for conditions in northern Sweden/Finland. A decision was made in February 2018 to build a pilot plant, and construction started in June 2018, with completion of the plant planned in summer 2020 followed by experimental campaigns the following years. Parallel with the pilot plant activities, a four-year research program was launched from the autumn of 2016 involving several research institutes and universities in Sweden to build knowledge and competence in several subject areas.