SSAB’s investments in internal transport

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materialiSsab, TFK Transport Research Institute and Kalmar, are going to kickoff a unique multimillion-SEK project to develop and test carbon-dioxide-free internal transport powered by hydrogen and fuel cells. “This is a very good project for SSAB in Oxelösund, where we can now really study the possibilities to reduce our fossil dependence. In addition to completely changing the fuel, we also get a better machine,” says Jacob Sandberg, site manager at Ssab in Oxelösund.

Ssab has significant internal transport activities which consist of forklift trucks and other vehicles, which currently predominantly run on fossil fuels. A total of some 50 different vehicles are in use in internal transport in Oxelösund. During 2017 and 2018, Ssab in Oxelösund, together with Kalmar and TFK Transport Research Institute, will implement a demonstration project where a heavy 14-tonne forklift truck will be fitted with fuel cells and run using hydrogen. This means that the truck will emit water. The forklift truck will be in normal use in internal transport and operation at SSAB in Oxelösund and will be tested around the clock for a period of 5-8 months. The effects of using fuel cells will be analyzed and assessed from the aspects of, among other things, energy efficiency, environmental impacts and operating costs.

“Kalmar’s strategy is to become a leading provider of sustainable solutions for heavy lifting equipment and this initiative demonstrates our aim to co-create with the leading actors,” says Thomas Malmborg, Vice President, Forklift Trucks at Kalmar.
The project will be carried out in close collaboration between Ssab, Kalmar and TFK Transport Research Institute. The project has a budget of more than SEK 10 million, with the Swedish Energy Agency, SSAB and Kalmar providing most of the funding.
SSAB is constantly working to reduce carbon dioxide emissions both short term and long term in its own operations. Together with Lkab and Vattenfall, Ssab is also driving an initiative for a carbon-dioxide-free steel industry, which involves eliminating the basic cause of carbon dioxide emissions in the blast furnace process.