Volvo plans to begin production this year of concept vehicles and components with SSAB made using hydrogen.
The plan is for smaller-scale serial production to start during 2022 and then a gradual escalation towards mass production to follow later. Volvo and SSAB will also work together in research and development to optimise the use of steel in Volvo’s products with regard to weight and quality. Together, the two companies will develop a number of products of fossil-free steel with the goal of reaching serial production within a few years.
“We are determined to be a climate-neutral company by 2050 in line with the Paris Agreement,” said Volvo Group president and CEO Martin Lundstedt. “This means that our vehicles and machines will be emission-free when in operation but also that we will review the materials, like steel, used in our products and will gradually switch to fossil-free alternatives here as well. This is an important step on the road to completely climate-neutral transports.”
SSAB president and CEO Martin Lindqvist said: “We are now taking a giant leap towards an entirely fossil-free value chain all the way to the end customer. Together with Volvo Group, we will start work on the development and serial production of fossil-free steel products. We will work together with our customers to reduce their climate impact while strengthening their competitiveness. We are constantly looking at how we can become a more comprehensive supplier of fossil-free steel to customers like Volvo. We see a new green revolution emerging.”
SSAB said that fossil-free steel will be made by a new technology using fossil-free electricity and hydrogen. It aims to start supplying the wider market with fossil-free steel at a commercial scale in 2026.
Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk
