ABB has been selected to supply a full electrification and automation package for the unique HYBRIT pilot plant in Luleå, northern Sweden, whose main energy source is fossil-free electricity.
HYBRIT (Hydrogen Breakthrough Ironmaking Technology) is a ground-breaking effort to reduce CO2 emissions in the steel industry by replacing coal with hydrogen in the steelmaking process. The initiative, by the steel, mining and energy companies SSAB, LKAB and Vattenfall, has the potential to reduce Sweden’s total carbon dioxide emissions by 10%.
The pilot plant in Luleå is expected to be in place in 2020 and SSAB will be able to produce the first fossil-free steel from 2026. By 2035, the goal is to sell fossil-free steel on a broad front.
The pilot plant will be integrated into the latest version of ABB Ability™ 800xA with Select I/O solutions for greater flexibility in design and increased scalability. ABB will also deliver the ABB Ability™ System 800xA Simulator, a software simulation solution that allows operators to learn and test processes in a disconnected, safe and offline environment to enable swift commissioning and reduce the risk of unplanned shutdowns.
