Steel Mills
SSAB, Shape Join Forces on Automotive Fossil-Free Steel
Written by David Schollaert
June 21, 2022
SSAB and Shape Corp., have partnered to deliver fossil-free steel crash management and body structure systems to the US market, the steelmaker said.
The Grand Haven, Mich.-based tier-one automotive supplier of lightweight body structures, will be testing SSAB’s HYBRIT steel – made from hydrogen-reduced sponge iron – for use in automotive applications.
“We are excited to welcome Shape as our first partner for fossil-free steel in the US,” said Martin Lindqvist, SSAB’s president, and CEO.
Demand for fossil-free steel is increasing, he said, a driving force behind SSAB’s efforts to bring forward its “green transition”, focused on largely eliminating carbon dioxide emissions within the next decade.
“Shape continues to lead the industry with innovative, lightweight solutions for next-generation vehicles,” says Mark White, Shape’s president, and CEO. “I am extremely excited to partner with SSAB to commercialize their new fossil-free HYBRIT steel technology and to be first to market in crash management and body structure applications for our customers. We see this as a win for our customers, a win for the environment, and a win for Shape!”
Shape has pledged to reduce its global carbon emissions by 30% by 2030 and be fully carbon-free by 2035. White said that the partnership supports Shape’s sustainability goal.
Shape will also reduce end-user carbon emissions through lightweighting of the products it provides its customers, mitigating climate change effects, the company said.
Together with its green steel partners LKAB and Vattenfall, SSAB launched the HYBRIT initiative to develop a process that could virtually eliminate CO2 emissions in steel production by replacing coking coal – traditionally used for iron ore-based steelmaking – with fossil-free electricity and hydrogen.
SSAB is a Nordic and US-based steel company with mills in Sweden, Finland, and the US, and added facilities in 50 countries worldwide.
By David Schollaert, David@SteelMarketUpdate.com
David Schollaert
Read more from David SchollaertLatest in Steel Mills
Millett sees tariffs, CORE case benefiting SDI
Steel Dynamics' top exec thinks Trump’s tariff policies, as well as the results from the recent CORE case, will prove advantageous to the Fort Wayne, Ind.-based steelmaker and aluminum company.
USW digs in on opposition to USS-Nippon deal
“We remain deeply concerned about the national and economic security implications of the subject transaction,” the union stated in the letter dated April 21.
SDI’s Q1 earnings slump on-year, but up sequentially
SDI earnings slip in first quarter year over year, but are up sequentially.
POSCO inks MoU with Hyundai on Louisiana EAF mill
POSCO has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hyundai Motor Group that includes an equity investment in Hyundai’s previously announced EAF mill set to be built in Louisiana.
CRU: Tata Steel looks to shed 1,600 jobs in the Netherlands
The company said, “The challenging demand conditions in Europe driven by geopolitical developments, trade and supply chain disruptions and escalating energy costs have affected the operating costs and financial performance."