The Vattenfall, SSAB, and LKAB-led HYBRIT initiative has now been officially recognized by the European Union as one of seven innovative projects funded by the Innovation Fund.
The project will receive €143 million in total to demonstrate a complete value chain for hydrogen-based iron and steelmaking, from mine to fossil-free steel, on an industrial and commercial scale.
One of the world’s largest funding programs for the demonstration of innovative low-carbon technologies that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions is the EU Innovation Fund. The European Union is investing over €1.1 billion in seven projects to decarbonize European industry and energy sectors, including chemicals, steel, cement, refineries, and power and heat. The only iron-and-steel project to receive funding in the first Innovation Fund call for large-scale projects was the HYBRIT demonstration project. On April 1st, the parties signed the grant agreement at an official ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden.
“Hybrit is paving the way for a fundamental change in the global steel industry. It also demonstrates how fast the green transition can happen: a few years ago, the possibility of producing emission-free steel would have sounded like science fiction. Now, green steel is entering the market. The support granted via the Innovation Fund is testament to the importance and potential of this technology, and the European Commission is convinced that this cutting-edge project will boost the European Union’s overall competitiveness. Green steel has the future, and that future is already here,” says Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice President of the European Commission responsible for the European Green Deal.
HYBRIT has received funding to help it advance its efforts to eliminate emissions from iron and steel production by using fossil-free hydrogen in the process of direct reduction of iron ore. The project will now focus on demonstrating the technical and commercial viability of the HYBRIT value chain, including (1) a demonstration of the hydrogen direct reduction process in Gällivare, Sweden, including fossil-free hydrogen production, (2) an electric melting demonstration of hydrogen-based direct reduced iron, and (3) a demonstration of fossil-free DR-pellets production for the hydrogen reduction process.
The HYBRIT technology, which is an important step toward fossil-free steelmaking, is a critical initiative for meeting EU climate goals. The EU Innovation Fund supported the project because of its potential to aid in the transition of Swedish industry and its ability to mitigate climate change.
