1/5 Remarkable accomplishment: A zero-C steel plant in Sweden, close to market costs. Bravo all

A few thoughts on its relevance & importance. https://twitter.com/hybrit_project/status/1300441974898601985

2/5 The plant uses existing technology (direct reduction of iron - DRI - with H2 electrolysis from nuclear & hydro power). It then upgrades the "sponge iron" to "pig iron" with an electric arc furnace (EAF). Core tech here.

What's new is combining them. https://www.midrex.com/technology/direct-reduced-iron/uses-of-dri/

3/5 This is close to market parity ONLY because Sweden's grid is ~40% hydro & 40% nuke. This provides 90% capacity low-C electricity at ~$30/MWh.

This is essential: need both high capacity factors & low costs. With wind or solar alone (30% c.f.), power would have to be $5/MWh!!

4/6 Although impressive, the low-cost/low-C/high capacity factor requirements make it hard to reproduce facility elsewhere.

The same plant in the U.S. would almost double the cost of steel production to $750/ton hot-metal, costing >$1200/ton CO2 abatement.

CCS = MUCH cheaper

5/6 Note: This is not the first zero-C steel! That honor goes to the Al Reyadah project in Abu Dhabi (2016). It's the EXACT same steel technology, only using zero-C hydrogen from natural gas + CCS. More on that here: https://www.thenational.ae/business/abu-dhabi-starts-up-world-s-first-commercial-steel-carbon-capture-project-1.213295

6/6 NOTE: The Swedish steel company SSAB has announced it will replace all existing steel production in Sweden with Hybrit-style plants. The push to replace existing assets with these is VERY good and VERY important.

Congratulations again Hybrit team on your accomplishments