The collaboration between SSAB and Amazon Web Services (AWS) marks a key step towards decarbonizing the construction sector, particularly with regard to steel production. The partnership aims to supply fossil-free steel, manufactured using the innovative HYBRIT technology , for AWS’s new data centers in Sweden.
Fossil-free steel for sustainable construction
AWS is expanding its infrastructure in Mälardalen, Sweden, where it is building three new data centers . To reduce carbon emissions in the construction of these buildings, the company has decided to use more sustainably manufactured steel.
While AWS data centers have traditionally used recycled steel, which has a lower carbon footprint than blast furnace steel, the limited availability of recycled scrap prompted AWS to explore new options. That’s where SSAB’s HYBRIT technology came in, offering virgin steel produced with green hydrogen instead of coal, resulting in a completely CO₂-free process.
How does HYBRIT technology work?
HYBRIT (Hydrogen Breakthrough Ironmaking Technology) is the result of a collaboration between SSAB, mining company LKAB and Vattenfall, and aims to eliminate carbon emissions in the manufacture of virgin steel .
This process uses hydrogen produced with renewable energy to reduce iron ore, creating sponge iron which is then processed into steel. Unlike traditional methods, which emit large amounts of CO₂, the HYBRIT process generates only water vapour, making the steel produced completely carbon-free.
AWS’s commitment to sustainability
The fossil-free steel that SSAB will supply to AWS will be used in the construction of the data centers and in the sandwich panels from Ruukki , a subsidiary of SSAB, that will cover part of the facility in Västerås. This effort is part of a broader vision to create a sustainable value chain, where both materials and production processes are aligned with global sustainability goals.
Kellen O’Connor, General Manager for Northern Europe at AWS, underlined the importance of this agreement , noting that reducing embodied carbon emissions in building materials is a priority for the company. With the goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 , AWS continues to drive sustainability through partnerships with innovative companies such as SSAB and Ruukki.
Steel manufacturing is responsible for approximately 7% of global CO₂ emissions , making initiatives to reduce carbon in steel production crucial to achieving global climate goals. With this collaboration, SSAB and AWS are demonstrating that it is possible to significantly reduce the carbon footprint in construction, regardless of whether steel is produced from scrap or virgin iron ore.
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Source: SSAB
Photos: Ruukki
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