“The change in Oxelösund is great news not only for the environment but also for our customers. An electric arc furnace means we will be able to deliver large volumes of SSAB Zero™ to our main European markets with much shorter lead times than today. SSAB Zero™ is made using recycled steel and fossil-free energy – resulting in steel with virtually zero fossil carbon emissions,” explains Thomas Hörnfeldt, VP Sustainable Business at SSAB.

 

SSAB Zero™ already commercially available

The huge demand from our customers in various segments led us to start making SSAB Zero™ back in 2023 at SSAB’s Iowa plant. However, having an electric arc furnace in Oxelösund will enable us to offer a much wider product portfolio than we have to date.

The conversion of Oxelösund is proceeding according to plan and we have obtained all the required permits and secured the availability of sufficient amounts of fossil-free electricity.

“We have customers in many market areas and various industries. One typical customer group consists of large, listed companies with clear sustainability targets and strategy. Other customers make it their niche to be at the very forefront of the green transition, doing everything as sustainably as possible. And some of our customers choose to label part of their product portfolio as low-emission products,” Hörnfeldt explains.

“Since we will be using mostly recycled steel scrap as the raw material in Oxelösund, we will also be able to offer our customers “closed loop” solutions, where we utilize scrap from our customers’ production as a raw material and deliver our high-quality steel back to the same customer again,” Hörnfeldt adds.

 

Main reasons to join our journey to a fossil-free future.

  1. Your business will act as a pioneer in how to reduce emissions. Eliminating CO2 emissions is vital if we are to stop global warming. You will contribute to an industry-wide transformation as the steel industry currently accounts for roughly 7% of total CO2 emissions globally. Legislation and regulations are also increasingly forcing industries to develop infrastructure and processes that meet specific environmental criteria.
  2. You’ll meet increased demand for green solutions. There is an increased demand throughout the value chain to invest in technologies and solutions that make products, services, and processes as environmentally friendly as possible. Also, consumers worldwide are increasingly opting for sustainable products.
  3. SSAB Zero™ is suitable for all your current steel applications. There’s no question about its quality, since it is the same high-quality steel as the current range of SSAB’s products – but without the negative environmental impact.

SSAB has created a platform for zero emissions to support you, our customer, to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as to support you in building an entirely fossil-free value chain, all the way to your end customer.

We have already teamed up with several large companies, such as Volvo Group, Alfa-Laval, Mercedes-Benz, and Cargotec, to create joint projects.

 

 

FACT BOX: SSAB transformation

Steelmaking globally remains a major source of CO₂ emissions – and time is running out. This is why SSAB is reinventing steelmaking by addressing the root cause of CO₂ emissions in the industry. Reinventing steelmaking means rethinking the whole production system.

SSAB has taken a policy decision to transform all our sites to fossil-free steel production. Our globally recognized brands such as Hardox® wear plate will be made with a significantly reduced carbon footprint. Our 140 years of experience ensures that the quality of all our well-known steels remains the same.

In June 2023, we decided to invest in an electric arc furnace in Oxelösund. And in April 2024, the investment decision was made for the transformation of the Luleå site in Sweden. The third step planned is for the transformation of Raahe, Finland. The Raahe project timing will depend on SSAB’s financing and execution capacity, as well as the learnings from the Luleå project.

In Oxelösund, we produce for example Hardox® wear plate, Strenx®- high strength structural steel, Armox® – protection plate and Toolox® – engineering and tool steel.

 

SSAB’s transformation of its Nordic production system is the first true steelmaking transformation in centuries. All five blast furnaces in Sweden and Finland will be replaced by more flexible and cost-efficient mini-mills that run on electricity.

 

SSAB emission-free products

SSAB is revolutionizing steelmaking with two unique steels with virtually zero fossil carbon emission – paving the way for a greener future.

SSAB Zero™

SSAB Zero™ is made using recycled steel and fossil-free energy – resulting in steel with virtually zero fossil carbon emissions. It’s the first commercial steel of its kind, and available already now in a number of grades and dimensions.

Fossil-free steel and HYBRIT® technology

In 2021, SSAB produced the world’s first fossil-free steel as a proof of concept using HYBRIT® technology. The revolutionary steelmaking technology using hydrogen reduced sponge iron removes the primary source of CO2 emissions with water as a by-product, instead of CO2. Since then, a number of pilot deliveries have been made to customers in different industries. Fossil-free steel has the same properties as traditional steel. It has the same strength but virtually no CO2 emissions.