A new steel plant has recently opened in the Northern Swedish city of Luleå, according to a report in the Salzburger Nachrichten. The facility might set new trends for the entire steel industry.

This is because unlike traditional steelworks, which run mainly on fossil fuels and emit enormous amounts of CO2, this new facility of tradition-steeped Swedish steelmaker SSAB will be operated on a climate neutral basis. Practically speaking, this means that the coal that used to be required as a reducing agent will be replaced by hydrogen. The time of smoking chimneys looks like it is coming an end. Moreover, all the other processes at the facility are energised in climate neutral fashion, primarily by means of hydropower. Energy provider Vattenfall will deliver this electricity mainly from its own hydropower plants. SSAB plans to market its climate neutral ‘eco steel’ starting in 2026. This is an example that may well catch on.