Of course, this is a very simplified overview of the complex steel production process. If you are interested in learning more about this process, Purdue University Northwest's Center for Innovation Through Visualization and Stimulation produced an excellent interactive experience of the steel-making process. By learning in-depth about each element of the process, you can better understand how steel production works.

It may come as a surprise that steel has been around for centuries; archeologists have found steel sites about 4,000 years old in Turkey. In the centuries since, the steel-making process has become a lot more high-tech. Today, most steel is made by two methods: blast furnace and electric arc furnace (EAF).

One great thing about steel is that it is one hundred percent recyclable. Scrap pieces of steel can become entirely new material. As such, steel is considered one of the world's most recyclable materials. And yet, it is still an extremely energy-intensive process. In addition, a form of coal called 'coke' is typically used as the carbon input.

This technology developed by HYBRIT can decrease Sweden's total carbon dioxide emissions by about ten percent. The Swedish Energy Agency has provided financial support for HYBRIT, illustrating their enthusiasm for this initiative. The hope is that this work will be scalable and adopted by other countries worldwide, especially as countries strive to reach the climate goals set for 2045 in the Paris Agreement.

You may be interested in who the key players are in this innovative initiative. HYBRIT is a collaboration between companies, each who owns a third of HYBRIT: SSAB, LKAB, and Vattenfall, who together create the HYBRIT consortium. SSAB is a global steel company that specializes in high-strength steel. Always striving for excellence, their steel production process is currently considered the most efficient in the world. Still, they want to make it even more efficient by going entirely fossil-free. LKAB is a global supplier of sustainable iron ore, minerals, and specialty products. Vattenfall is a producer and seller of electricity and heat in Europe. Together, these three companies represent three parts of the value chain.