SSAB has temporarily suspended construction of a new plant in Luleå

Swedish steelmaker SSAB has announced a temporary suspension of construction work at its new steel mill in Luleå, according to SteelOrbis.

This step was taken after several subcontractor employees reported symptoms resembling illness—the first confirmed cases appeared in early April.

As a precautionary measure, all work at the site has been halted—partial shutdowns had previously been implemented after the initial symptoms were detected.

Preliminary investigations focused on the potential impact of gases. Measurements taken on April 2 showed that levels of hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide in the ambient air remained well below regulatory limits. However, elevated concentrations of nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide exceeding regulatory thresholds were detected inside the cab of a crawler excavator during operation. During these tests, operators were equipped with respiratory protection systems.

SSAB expanded its monitoring to include additional air and soil sampling across the entire construction site. The company noted that measurements taken earlier following previous incidents did not indicate elevated gas levels. Since 2022, more than 2,000 samples have been analyzed as part of an assessment of environmental and safety factors.

The root cause of the reported symptoms has not yet been determined, and some test results require further analysis. SSAB has stated that construction will resume only after safe conditions have been confirmed.

According to SVT Norrbotten, the company confirmed that a total of about 20 people experienced symptoms, and seven required medical treatment. The workers who fell ill are employed by subcontractor NCC, which bears primary responsibility for the construction of SSAB’s new steel mill.

According to Swedish media reports, construction of the new facility is underway on an SSAB site adjacent to the existing steel mill. The site is part of the earlier Stålverk 80 project (a Swedish industrial initiative from the 1970s aimed at creating one of Europe’s largest steel complexes), which was never completed.

SSAB’s current electric arc furnace project is part of the company’s efforts to transition from fossil fuel-based production to “green” steel production. The steelmaker previously informed the County Administrative Board that it encountered a large amount of waste during excavation work in the area.

On April 9, the Swedish Work Environment Authority will conduct an inspection in the area. The police have launched a preliminary investigation into labor violations.

As a reminder, in late 2024 and in 2025, major steel companies postponed their green transformation plans, seeking greater certainty, particularly regarding the bloc’s steps to protect the industry and the market. In reviewing these plans, they cited a weak steel market, high energy prices, and slower-than-expected development of hydrogen infrastructure.