Swedish and Korean steel giants, SSAB and POSCO, will come together to host a global conference for green steel in Stockholm this October, titled Hydrogen Iron&Steel Making Forum 2022.

Held under the slogan ‘Together for a Green Future!’ the event will be jointly hosted by the two global steel sector giants and focus on providing a forum where steelmakers can promote collaboration and share advice, ideas and expertise to tackle global climate change.

A joint statement about the event said that steel plays a critical role in developing industries and building communities, and “one can say our world is built using steel, which is why it is used in every aspect of our lives”.

“It’s 100% recyclable, strong, durable and, compared to other materials, requires relatively low amounts of energy to make.”

However, the statement observed, the steel industry remains a significant source of CO2 emissions and global warming. With more action required to continue reducing emissions, SSAB said that it has been at the forefront of sustainability for years, and recently strengthened its position as the leader in the green transition in the steel industry.

The company added that the need now is to share experiences to make change happen.

Martin Lindqvist, CEO of SSAB, said: “The global climate change issue cannot be tackled by individual actions alone. Leading steel companies must work closely together to share experiences and take appropriate measures to mitigate climate change as quickly as possible.”

The goals of the Paris Agreement limiting global warming means bold decisions are needed throughout the steel industry, the Swedish steek giant feels. Steelmakers are required to fundamentally change the steel production process and to meet the climate goals through technological innovation.

Last year POSCO hosted a similar event, HyIS in Seoul, Korea. The purpose of the Forum is to provide an overview of global climate change and discuss policies to reduce greenhouse gases, hydrogen iron and steelmaking technology, and progress updates of ongoing initiatives in hydrogen ironmaking technology.

According to the statement, at the Forum in Stockholm global steelmakers and stakeholders alike will hold in-depth discussions on three main topics:
- Transition to near zero emission steelmaking
- Value chain for near zero emission steel
- Science and technology policy for near zero emission steel

The focus is to provide a forum where steelmakers can promote collaboration and share advice, ideas and expertise on developing innovative technology to achieve carbon neutrality as well as to share experiences and roadmaps of the transformation for the industry.

The Forum will take place in Stockholm on October 12-13 at the Fotografiska Stockholm venue. Physical attendance is by invitation only, as well as online. Expected to attend will be industry executives, innovation leaders, CTOs, R&D Directors and government officials, among others.