Specialised global steel company SSAB, who earlier this week started up the world’s first pilot plant for fossil-free steel, has joined the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance.

Using HYBRIT technology, which endeavours to revolutionise steelmaking, SSAB aims to replace coking coal, traditionally needed for ore-based steelmaking, with fossil-free electricity and hydrogen.

Martin Pei, Chief Technology Officer at SSAB, said, “In the alliance, we would like to contribute to the advancement of hydrogen use in industrial applications.”

“For SSAB, fossil-free hydrogen-based steelmaking is the way forward.”

In July 2020, the European Commission presented its EU Hydrogen Strategy, underlined by the launch of the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance.

The Alliance brings together leading European industrial companies as well as representatives from politics and civil society.

It is strongly anchored in the hydrogen value chain, covering renewable and low-carbon hydrogen from production via transmission to mobility, industry, energy, and heating applications.

The Alliance aims to support the scaling up of production and demand for renewable and low-carbon hydrogen, coordinate action, and provide a broad forum to engage civil society.