SSAB and Fortum examine production of hydrogen-reduced sponge iron

Finland – A FEED study will be started by SSAB and Fortum to investigate the viability of producing hydrogen-reduced sponge iron in Raahe, Finland.

The FEED study will investigate the viability of setting up a hydrogen production facility and producing sponge iron in Raahe on an industrial scale. The study will be finished in the first quarter of 2024, according to schedule.

Collaborative research project

The program is a logical extension of the ongoing collaborative research project FFS – Towards Fossil-free Steel, which was launched in February 2021 and is funded by Business Finland. The Board of Directors of SSAB decided as a matter of policy in January 2022 to change Nordic strip manufacturing and have it primarily carbon dioxide-free by the year 2030. SSAB produced and shipped 500 tonnes of steel free of fossil fuels in 2022.

Another significant breakthrough was accomplished in March 2023 when SSAB unveiled SSAB Zero, a carbon dioxide-free steel created from recovered scrap and produced using renewable energy. Starting in the fourth quarter of 2026, when SSAB adapts the Oxelösund mill, it will be able to produce steel devoid of carbon dioxide emissions using a versatile blend of scrap and fossil-free sponge iron as the raw material.