“Major Breakthrough” Makes Fossil-Free Steel Possible!

Sweden has produced the world’s first sponge iron and this useful tool made to eliminate CO₂ in steelmaking could cut two-thirds of the country’s emissions, or about 35 megatons, every year.

“This is a major breakthrough both for us and for the entire iron and steel industry. Progress with HYBRIT enables us to maintain the pace in our transition and already in 2026, we will begin the switch to industrial-scale production with the first demonstration plant in Gällivare, Sweden,” says Jan Moström, president and CEO of LKAB, one of the project’s shareholders.

The HYBRIT sponge uses fossil-free hydrogen gas in “a decisive step on the road to fossil-free steel.” So far, 100 megatons of hydrogen-reduced sponge iron have been produced, with a goal to be the first to market industrial-scale fossil-free steel starting 2026.