Courtesy of Giphy
In 2001, Derek Zoolander introduced us to blue steel. 20 years later, Hybrit has introduced us to green steel. Both make the world a better place, but only one has a Center for Kids Who Can’t Read Good.
What happened: As a partnership of Swedish manufacturing, mining, and energy companies, Hybrit has officially manufactured carbon-free steel and delivered it to a customer: Volvo.
- Volvo intends to use this initial batch of green steel to develop prototype vehicles and component parts in preparation for access to larger quantities of this new material.
Why it matters: Steel manufacturing, which traditionally requires metallurgical coal as a raw material, is directly responsible for about 7 to 8 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. Being one of the most widely used building materials, reducing the carbon footprint of steel manufacturing would be a major milestone for decarbonization efforts.
- Alternatives to steel such as cross-laminated timber do exist but are not nearly at the scale required to displace it.
What’s next: Hybrit will continue to conduct manufacturing trials out of their pilot plant through 2025 while they construct a larger demonstration facility by 2026. Once constructed, they can begin to deliver fossil-fuel free steel at an industrial scale.
Who knows, maybe their green steel can be used to follow through on Zoolanders’ dream to teach kids to read (“and do other stuff good too”).
+Additional information: Hybrit – the biggest change in steel production in over 1,000 years
Share This:
COMMENTARY: 12 Myths That Government-Dictated Green Energy is Cheaper Than Fossil Fuels