EU President von der Leyen mentions Green Steel as example of the future of industry
On the 16th of March 2021, EU President von der Leyen gave a keynote speech at the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue 2021. She explicitly mentioned the initiatives in the North of Sweden using Green Hydrogen to decarbonize the production of steel. The EGHAC recently announced the involvement in the H2 Green Steel initiative and strives to replicate this to other countries and industries.
Transcript of the keynote:
Speaking about, as you said, the future of industry: just look north, for example to Sweden. There, 160 kilometres below the Arctic Circle, one can visit a pioneer of greening our economy. In the town of Lulea, a steel plant just started using hydrogen gas to reduce iron ore. And some days ago another producer in the same region announced that he will build a large-scale green hydrogen plant as part of a new steel production facility.
These are not isolated cases. We all know that today, the steel industry is responsible for up to 9% of global emissions. Thus, companies in Northern Sweden have to and want to bring down their carbon footprint to zero – with water vapour the only by-product. Their way to achieve this is clean hydrogen. Hydrogen, derived from renewable energy, such as hydroelectric power. A resource that is as abundant in Scandinavia as high-quality iron ore.
These Swedish entrepreneurs match exactly the spirit of our European Green Deal. We want to reconcile the way we produce and do business with the health of our planet. It is time to do this. Because what is good for the planet is good for business and good for us all. The energy transition is at the heart of our European Green Deal. And this is why I am delighted to be able to talk to you today at the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue. Sadly, because of the pandemic, only virtually.
For the full keynote please check here
