Volvo Group and SSAB have signed a collaboration agreement on research, development, serial production and commercialisation of the world?s first vehicles to be made of fossil-free steel
Volvo plans already this year to start the production of concept vehicles and components from steel made by SSAB using hydrogen.
?We are determined to be a climate-neutral company by 2050 in line with the Paris Agreement. This means that our vehicles and machines will be emission-free when in operation but also that we will review the materials, like steel, used in our products and will gradually switch to fossil-free alternatives here as well. This is an important step on the road to completely climate-neutral transports,? said Martin Lundstedt, president and CEO at Volvo Group.
?We are now taking a giant leap towards an entirely fossil-free value chain to the end customer. Together with Volvo Group, we will start work on the development and serial production of fossil-free steel products. We will work together with our customers to reduce their climate impact while strengthening their competitiveness. We are constantly looking at how we can become a more comprehensive supplier of fossil-free steel to customers like Volvo. We see a new green revolution emerging,? said Martin Lindqvist, president and CEO at SSAB.
Volvo will start manufacturing the first concept vehicles and machines with steel from SSAB using hydrogen already in 2021. Plans are for smaller-scale serial production to start during 2022 and for a gradual escalation towards mass production to follow. Volvo and SSAB will also work together in research and development to optimise the use of steel in Volvo?s products with regard to weight and quality. Together, the two companies will develop a number of products of fossil-free steel to reach serial production within a few years.
Newly made fossil-free steel from SSAB will be an important complement to the traditional and recycled steel used in Volvo?s trucks, construction equipment and other products. Fossil-free steel will be made by a completely new technology using fossil-free electricity and hydrogen. The result will be a much lower climate impact and a fossil-free value chain. The steel industry considers that the need for steel will grow significantly in the long term and that newly made fossil-free steel will be needed to meet this demand.
The collaboration framework also includes a review of common logistics solutions that can contribute to reducing SSAB?s environmental impact from internal and external transports. The ambition is to use Volvo vehicles that are powered by batteries or fuel cells.
