Sweden’s Vattenfall orders green steel from SSAB for hydroelectric dam

Swedish steel producer SSAB has signed an agreement with energy company Vattenfall to supply 120 tons of steel produced without the use of fossil fuels for the construction of the world’s first and largest dam gate, manufactured with virtually zero carbon dioxide emissions during production. This is stated in a press release from SSAB.

The gate will be installed at the Stornorrfors hydroelectric power plant in northern Sweden in 2028.

According to SSAB, the 21-meter-wide and 11-meter-high steel structure will be a clear example of how the company’s fossil-free steel can be used in large-scale infrastructure projects.

“Vattenfall and SSAB are now taking a significant step forward in the development of fossil-free value chains and components. Vattenfall is working purposefully to achieve zero emissions across our entire value chain by 2040,” said Lovisa Frikott Norén, CEO of Vattenfall’s northern hydropower operations.

According to her, the project also plays a key role in extending the life of fossil-free hydropower facilities for the next 100 years.

Stornorrfors is the country’s largest hydroelectric power plant, operating since 1958. The new fossil fuel-free dam gates will be made from sponge iron produced at SSAB’s Hybrit pilot plant in Luleå.

SSAB has received SEK 314 million (€28.8 million) in funding from the Swedish Energy Agency under the Industriklivet program to modernize its Luleå plant. The support is for a project to develop technical solutions for the electrification and energy efficiency improvement of slab finishing processes at the plant.