HYBRIT hydrogen direct reduction by SSAB / LKAB / Vattenfall (HYBRIT): status and timeline

HYBRIT hydrogen direct reduction

First industrial-scale fossil-free steel plant using hydrogen. Demo facility in Gällivare produces hydrogen-reduced sponge iron for refining into finished steel.

PilotStage 3 of 5

Pilot proved technology in 2021. Gällivare demonstration plant under development in Vitåfors.

Updated Jun 2021Checked 10 Oct0 updates this week

Milestones

No announced next step

Pilot produces first hydrogen-reduced sponge ironJun 2021Complete.
Hydrogen storage pilot extended to 2031Jan 2025Complete.
Large-scale hydrogen storage testing completedFeb 2025Complete.

Most important updates

SSAB, LKAB, Vattenfall produce world's first hydrogen-reduced sponge ironJun 2021

Current obstacles

Demo timeline unconfirmedStart date stated as '2026' target; detailed construction milestones not published.
Hydrogen production scalingPilot made ~100 tonnes; demo needs thousands/year. Building and operating a 600 MW electrolyzer at scale is unproven.

Physics limits

Electrolysis efficiency ~60–70% of input energySome energy lost as heat. Requires more renewable electricity to make needed hydrogen per tonne of steel.
Melting sponge iron still requires high heatMelting and refining sponge iron needs high temperature. Must use electric heat (induction) which must also be renewable.

How it works

3 parts

Water splitting

Electrolyzer produces hydrogen

600 MW electrolyzer powered by wind and hydropower splits water into hydrogen and oxygen.

Direct reduction

Hydrogen reduces iron ore

Hydrogen gas removes oxygen from iron ore, leaving sponge iron. Hydrogen becomes water, not CO2.

Steel refining

Sponge iron becomes steel

Sponge iron melts and refines into finished steel using fossil-free energy. Skips the blast furnace.

Spec sheet

Spec	HYBRIT hydrogen direct reduction
Demo plant design capacity	1.3 Mt/yr sponge iron^R (reported)
Pilot output (June 2021)	~100 tonnes^R (reported)
Electrolysis capacity	600 MW^R (reported)

^R reported by the company

Papers & demos

1 item

Jun 2021demo
First hydrogen-reduced sponge iron produced at pilot scale (opens group.vattenfall.com)Proof that direct reduction process works with fossil-free hydrogen.

Update log

1 update

Jun 2021

Major: SSAB, LKAB, Vattenfall produce world's first hydrogen-reduced sponge ironPressHardware

About SSAB / LKAB / Vattenfall (HYBRIT)

The team behind HYBRIT hydrogen direct reduction

SSAB / LKAB / Vattenfall (HYBRIT)

Hydrogen direct reduction, fossil-free steel

Joint venture of Swedish steel maker SSAB, mining company LKAB, and energy company Vattenfall to develop fossil-free steel using hydrogen. Produced first hydrogen-reduced sponge iron in 2021; building demo plant in Gällivare.

Joint venture producing fossil-free steel using hydrogen instead of coal and coke.
Pilot plant produced 100 tonnes of hydrogen-reduced sponge iron in June 2021.
Building Gällivare demonstration plant targeting 1.3 Mt/yr capacity, backed by 600 MW electrolyzer.

hybritdevelopment.se (opens hybritdevelopment.se)Company profile →

Founded: 201610 yrs
Headquarters: Sweden
Status: Private
Valuation: private
Works in: MaterialsGreen steel
Coverage: 1 program · 2 updateslatest 1 Feb 2025checked 10 Oct
Partners: SSAB (opens ssab.com)LKAB (opens lkab.com)Vattenfall (opens group.vattenfall.com)
People: Henrik Ståhl (opens ssab.com)SSAB Group President & CEO

Spec

HYBRIT hydrogen direct reduction

Demo plant design capacity

1.3 Mt/yr sponge iron^R (reported)

Pilot output (June 2021)

~100 tonnes^R (reported)

Electrolysis capacity

600 MW^R (reported)