Towards Fossil-free Steel

FFS2 project, as a continuation of FFS1, will enable the transition from carbon intensive steelmaking towards fossil-free steel production. Utilization of electricity and hydrogen instead of carbon in steelmaking provides opportunity for large-scale C02 emission mitigation. Due to the growing climate regulations, carbon neutral steel will be in the interest of industries applying steel, increasing the demand of competitive carbon neutral steel in the future.

FFS2 consortium wants to promote Finnish steel export and hydrogen economy, and at the same time contribute heavily to Finnish and EU climate targets. The FFS2 consortium comprises ten companies and three research institutions – the University of Oulu, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and Åbo Akademi University. The project is being funded by Business Finland and coordinated by environmental consultant Macon Oy.

FFS2 project will bring new research-based knowhow, process innovations, development of process practices and reassessment of circular economy that are required for realising fossil-free steel production. The transition to fossil-free steelmaking creates the need to find solutions for large-scale clean hydrogen production, storage and supply.

In FFS2, VTT has a key role in developing the hydrogen value chain and will study the options to supply hydrogen to large-scale end-users in Finland. In addition, the electrification of high temperature industrial furnaces will be studied via development of new electricity assisted burners, furnaces and rotary kilns. Availability of sustainably sourced Nordic forestry feedstocks
for biocarbon production, properties of produced biochar and
their applicability in Finnish steel making will also be studied. Furthermore, investigation of fossil-free steelmaking residuals (slags, sludges, dusts) and their utilization methods will be conducted. The FFS2 consortium forms a valuable value network to commercialize the developed technologies.