Volvo Group Collaborates For Green Steel And Hydrogen

When it comes to manufacturing all types of equipment and vehicles, steel is a very common building material. Volvo Group has been working with SSAB and Ovako on a green steel collaboration. The group says that 1.87 million tons of crude steel were produced around the world last year, with 16 percent of that steel used in the transportation sector.

Currently, about 70 percent of a truck's weight comes from steel and cast iron, and that percentage is even higher in Volvo-built construction equipment. Through the green steel collaboration, the participants are working to create the first fossil-free vehicles in the world. In addition, the collaboration has become the first OEM to use surplus fossil-free hydrogen from Ovako, a steel manufacturer, for fuel-cell vehicles.

By using surplus green hydrogen, the group ensures that hydrogen doesn't go to waste and improves the cost efficiency of recycling the byproduct and converting it into energy is passed to customers. The collaboration will see a hydrogen filling station built alongside the Ovako plant in Hofors, Sweden. The surplus hydrogen there will be used to power next-generation Volvo trucks.

Volvo will work with SSAB on the development, serial production, and commercialization of the world's first vehicles made of fossil-free steel. Volvo Group sees both of these endeavors as a step on its journey to net zero. Volvo says hydrogen is an important part of the company's shift to electrification.

Fuel cells for long-haul and heavy-duty applications are potentially more appropriate than battery-powered electric vehicles. Green hydrogen can be used as a fuel for combustion engines. When hydrogen is burned in a fuel-cell vehicle, the only byproduct is water. Volvo Group says the green steel collaboration is one step toward cutting carbon emissions in all areas of its business.