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Released May 14, 2019 | GALWAY, IRELAND
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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--The world's first project for creating fossil-free steel has advanced in Sweden with the developers of the HYBRIT initiative purchasing a hydrogen generation electrolyzer solution from Nel Hydrogen.
Located at the Lulea Steel Works in the north of the country, HYBRIT will use hydrogen from electricity produced by renewable energy instead of coking coal for ore-based steel making, which will also have the added benefit of replacing typical carbon emissions with water. The pilot plant will operate from 2021-2024, followed by a demonstration phase, with target of full-scale implementation by 2035. The HYBRIT process is based on direct reduction of iron ore using fossil-free energy and hydrogen gas (H2). Hydrogen gas is produced by electrolysis of water using renewable energy. For additional information, see July 2, 2018, article - Ground Broken on World's First Fossil-Free Steel Plant.
"Being chosen to supply electrolyzers to the first phase of the HYBRIT project is a true honour," said Henning Langås, sales director for Alkaline Electrolyzers. "It's encouraging to see the partners behind HYBRIT leading the way in the effort to decarbonise the steel industry, one of the most CO2-intensive industries globally today. In this important benchmark project, the HYBRIT-partners are determined to change the reliance on coal and move to a renewable, fossil-free future."
HYBRIT is a partnership between Swedish energy major Vattenfall (Stockholm), steel producer SSAB (NASDAQ OMX:SSAB A) (Stockholm, Sweden) and Sweden's state-owned mining giant LKAB (Lulea), which is Europe's largest iron ore producer. Industrial Info is tracking the groundbreaking project, which has an estimated investment cost of approximately $158 million. The Swedish Energy Agency also is providing partial funding and estimates that HYBRIT could lower Sweden's total carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 10% and those in Finland by 7%.
Hybrit Development, the joint venture company overseeing the project, stated that the steel industry is one of the highest CO2-emitting industries, accounting for 7% of the world's CO2 emissions.
"We believe that HYBRIT can play a significant role to reach a fossil-free future. This order is an important step in our aim to develop a fossil-free iron and steel production process," commented Martin Pei, chairman at Hybrit Development and executive vice president and chief technical officer at SSAB. "The electrolyzer will be part of the pilot plant that we right now are building in Lulea."
Industrial Info also is tracking efforts by other steelmakers to use hydrogen. ArcelorMittal S.A. (NYSE:MT) (Luxembourg) is aiming to build a hydrogen-based pilot project at its Hamburg steel plant in Germany "in the coming years." The project will cost about 65 million euro ($73 million). The hydrogen-based reduction of iron ore will initially take place on a demonstration scale with an annual production of 100,000 tonnes.
"Our Hamburg site offers optimum conditions for this innovative project: an electric arc furnace with DRI system and iron ore pellets stockyard as well as decades of know-how in this area," said Frank Schulz, CEO of ArcelorMittal Germany. "The use of hydrogen as a reducing agent shall now be tested in a new shaft furnace."
In the process, the separation of H2 with a purity of more than 95% from the top gas of the existing plant should be achieved by so-called pressure swing adsorption, the company stated. The process is first tested with grey hydrogen (generated at gas separation) to allow for economical operation. In the future, the plant also should be able to run on green hydrogen (generated from renewable sources) when it is available in sufficient quantities.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, six offices in North America and 12 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Our European headquarters are located in Galway, Ireland. Follow IIR Europe on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn For more information on our European coverage send inquiries to info@industrialinfo.eu or visit us online at Industrial Info Europe.
Located at the Lulea Steel Works in the north of the country, HYBRIT will use hydrogen from electricity produced by renewable energy instead of coking coal for ore-based steel making, which will also have the added benefit of replacing typical carbon emissions with water. The pilot plant will operate from 2021-2024, followed by a demonstration phase, with target of full-scale implementation by 2035. The HYBRIT process is based on direct reduction of iron ore using fossil-free energy and hydrogen gas (H2). Hydrogen gas is produced by electrolysis of water using renewable energy. For additional information, see July 2, 2018, article - Ground Broken on World's First Fossil-Free Steel Plant.
"Being chosen to supply electrolyzers to the first phase of the HYBRIT project is a true honour," said Henning Langås, sales director for Alkaline Electrolyzers. "It's encouraging to see the partners behind HYBRIT leading the way in the effort to decarbonise the steel industry, one of the most CO2-intensive industries globally today. In this important benchmark project, the HYBRIT-partners are determined to change the reliance on coal and move to a renewable, fossil-free future."
HYBRIT is a partnership between Swedish energy major Vattenfall (Stockholm), steel producer SSAB (NASDAQ OMX:SSAB A) (Stockholm, Sweden) and Sweden's state-owned mining giant LKAB (Lulea), which is Europe's largest iron ore producer. Industrial Info is tracking the groundbreaking project, which has an estimated investment cost of approximately $158 million. The Swedish Energy Agency also is providing partial funding and estimates that HYBRIT could lower Sweden's total carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 10% and those in Finland by 7%.
Hybrit Development, the joint venture company overseeing the project, stated that the steel industry is one of the highest CO2-emitting industries, accounting for 7% of the world's CO2 emissions.
"We believe that HYBRIT can play a significant role to reach a fossil-free future. This order is an important step in our aim to develop a fossil-free iron and steel production process," commented Martin Pei, chairman at Hybrit Development and executive vice president and chief technical officer at SSAB. "The electrolyzer will be part of the pilot plant that we right now are building in Lulea."
Industrial Info also is tracking efforts by other steelmakers to use hydrogen. ArcelorMittal S.A. (NYSE:MT) (Luxembourg) is aiming to build a hydrogen-based pilot project at its Hamburg steel plant in Germany "in the coming years." The project will cost about 65 million euro ($73 million). The hydrogen-based reduction of iron ore will initially take place on a demonstration scale with an annual production of 100,000 tonnes.
"Our Hamburg site offers optimum conditions for this innovative project: an electric arc furnace with DRI system and iron ore pellets stockyard as well as decades of know-how in this area," said Frank Schulz, CEO of ArcelorMittal Germany. "The use of hydrogen as a reducing agent shall now be tested in a new shaft furnace."
In the process, the separation of H2 with a purity of more than 95% from the top gas of the existing plant should be achieved by so-called pressure swing adsorption, the company stated. The process is first tested with grey hydrogen (generated at gas separation) to allow for economical operation. In the future, the plant also should be able to run on green hydrogen (generated from renewable sources) when it is available in sufficient quantities.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, six offices in North America and 12 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Our European headquarters are located in Galway, Ireland. Follow IIR Europe on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn For more information on our European coverage send inquiries to info@industrialinfo.eu or visit us online at Industrial Info Europe.
