Swedish engineering steel manufacturer Ovako will inaugurate a hydrogen plant at its Hofors Mill in September (2023), as the company looks to decarbonise its operations.

Set to be inaugurated on September 5, 2023, by Swedish Prime Minister, Ulf Kristersson, the 20MW hydrogen plant will supply green hydrogen to be used in the Hofors rolling mill to heat steel before rolling.

The hydrogen will replace propane currently used to fuel the furnaces, which could reduce the carbon dioxide (CO2) emission from Ovako’s total steel operations by 50%.

Utilising Nel electrolysers, the plant has capacity to produce 3,880m3 of hydrogen per hour, and is hoped to pave the way for Ovako to introduce local hydrogen production at all of its steel rolling facilities by 2030.