GMK Center’s Post

As the global construction industry races toward sustainability, SSAB's EUR 4.5 billion investment in a fossil-free steel mill in Luleå, Sweden, is setting a new standard. This innovation certainly isn't just a leap for the steel industry, it's a game-changer for green building certifications like LEED. Incorporating fossil-free steel can significantly boost LEED credits. By reducing embodied carbon and using advanced materials, projects can demonstrate a strong commitment to sustainability and gain a competitive edge. Let’s explore how sustainable materials are reshaping our industry and what this means for future LEED certifications! https://lnkd.in/gTTJZbQi #FossilFree #Sustainability #LEED #GreenBuilding #Innovation #Materials #GreenFuture #Carbon #SustainableDesign

SSAB has received a permit from the Land and Environmental Court in Umeå to build and operate a mini-mill in Luleå, Sweden, that will replace the current steel plant. #transformation #environment #permit #steelmaking #metal #construction #steelindustry #operation #manufacturing #decarbonization #sustainability https://lnkd.in/eNfrsvTs

I've been fascinated by manufacturing since the 90s when I worked for Murray & Roberts. The interwoven processes, non-stop improvement in action. I'm so glad we are reinventing it for a new century. Manufacturing tends to be terrible for the environment and workers. There is a race for cheap and fast, and profit-driven mindsets lead to short-cuts. Government has to legislate, to make companies care. 20 years ago manufacturing moved to the developing world, and everyone stopped caring. Air, oceans, soil and lives are expendable when they are on the other side of the planet. The raw material at the heart of most manufacturing processes is either steel or plastic. People who lived in steel-making cities learned quickly that producing steel has consequences. We switched to plastics, now we know that has consequences too. I really hope this Swedish initiative has fewer consequences, because metals can be reprocessed. SSAB, LKAB and Vattenfall are making a unique joint effort to change the Swedish iron and steel industry fundamentally. Under the name HYBRIT, we are working together to develop the first fossil-free steel. The HYBRIT technology has the potential to reduce Sweden’s total carbon dioxide emissions by at least ten percent. This is equivalent to one third of the emissions from the industry and may, in the future, help to reduce emissions from iron and steel production globally. https://lnkd.in/dq2sT2Fg

Behind this truth is the fact that steel is one of the world's most important engineering and building materials. It remains vital for many high-growth new technology sectors while still playing an integral role in everything from cars to construction, refrigerators to washing machines, and cargo ships to surgical scalpels.

Behind this truth is the fact that steel is one of the world's most important engineering and building materials. It remains vital for many high-growth new technology sectors while still playing an integral role in everything from cars to construction, refrigerators to washing machines, and cargo ships to surgical scalpels.

Behind this truth is the fact that steel is one of the world's most important engineering and building materials. It remains vital for many high-growth new technology sectors while still playing an integral role in everything from cars to construction, refrigerators to washing machines, and cargo ships to surgical scalpels.

Sweden is leading the way in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the steel industry. One of the country's big steel mills is replacing its blast furnace with two electric arc furnaces, resulting in a 7% reduction in Sweden´s total emissions. Other companies are also racing to create industrial quantities of “green” steel, with production estimated for 2026. On the demand side, companies like Volvo have committed to solely producing their products from fossil-free steel. This progress represents proof that it’s possible to make the transition and significantly reduce the global carbon footprint of the steel industry. In the Czech Republic, steel accounts for 7.5% of GHG emissions, and steel manufacturers ArcelorMittal Ostrava and Třinecké železárny are the second and third largest single emission sources in the country. TŘINECKÉ ŽELEZÁRNY, a.s. ArcelorMittal Engineering Products Ostrava - Do you view "green" stell as an opportunity and can similar aprroaches be applied in CZ too? Read more about SSAB's transformation to a fossil-free minimill in Luleå, Sweden: https://lnkd.in/eHfut-_S

SSAB's green steel production support of €128 million approved SSAB, the Swedish steel giant, has received a EUR 128 million state subsidy from the European Commission, a major step forward in its green transformation efforts to reduce carbon emissions. The funding will be used for the conversion of SSAB's existing coal-based steel production into a more environmentally friendly electric steel plant. The new plant is planned to produce 2.5 million tons of “green” steel per year. This investment for SSAB's plant in Luleå aims to decrease carbon emissions in Sweden by 7%. This will increase Sweden's industrial competitiveness and strengthen sustainability in the steel sector, stated Martin Lindqvist, the company's CEO. The plant is scheduled to be fully operational in 2029. This state aid to accelerate the project is expected to increase the process by three years and contribute greatly to decreasing intensity impacts. SSAB plans to equip the new process with advanced technology provided by Danieli. The plant is expected to be demonstrated with many modern systems such as two electric arc furnaces, advanced metallurgy products and a casting line. The conversion will also be a continuation of SSAB's previously initiated conversion to fossil fuel-free steelmaking in Oxelösund. With the new technology in Luleå, SSAB aims to become Europe's leader in sustainable steel production. This transformation will not only minimize Sweden's carbon emissions, but can also set an example for other steel components in Europe. With the new capacity, green steel production, where fossil-fueled production is expanding, will be highly competitive and the negative impact on health will be significantly reduced.

Demand for #GreenSteel (and rising carbon costs under the #EUETS) have made a €4.5 billion investment in a fossil-free steel mill viable for SSAB... A positive sign that the business case for sustainability is strengthening!

This is an important study that shows the true significance of the energy that has to be invested in producing materials. You would always think that because aluminium produces light vehicles it is best for carbon footprint. But it can never pay off the carbon debt built up in its manufacturing processes, which is why stainless steel proves the better option when the production and use cases are considered together.