We initiated a collaboration to research and develop fossil-free steel components for automotive safety products, such as airbags and seatbelts. Autoliv and SSAB are initiating a number of pilot projects together with the aim to reduce climate impact and strengthen competitiveness.
“As the first automotive safety supplier, we are committed to becoming carbon neutral in our own operations by 2030 and furthermore aim for net-zero emissions across our supply chain by 2040. This means reducing our carbon emissions through use of renewable electricity in our own and supplier operations, improving energy and materials efficiency and adopting low carbon logistics and low carbon materials. We are now turning our commitment into action and are well-positioned to continue supporting our customers and partners to reach their sustainability goals. Gradually switching to fossil-free steel in our products is an important step towards achieving our climate targets", says Mikael Bratt, President and CEO of Autoliv.
“We are looking forward to working with Autoliv and to start the process of research and development of innovative fossil-free steel components for their automotive safety products. We are initiating a number of pilot projects together with Autoliv with the aim to reduce climate impact and strengthen competitiveness", says Martin Lindqvist, President and CEO of SSAB.
SSAB aims to start supplying the market with fossil-free steel at a commercial scale in 2026. In 2016, SSAB, LKAB and Vattenfall joined forces to create HYBRIT. A pilot plant has already produced smaller volumes of iron using hydrogen. On August 18 2021, SSAB showcased the first steel made of hydrogen reduced iron.
Autoliv presented the first 3D-printed seatbelt tongue made of fossil-free steel. Autoliv is the worldwide leader in automotive safety systems, and we are dedicated to reaching our sustainability target of net zero emissions by 2040. Together with our strategic partner SSAB, we have been investigating and working on various projects that will help us achieve this goal. We have already been able to manufacture a fossil-free seatbelt tongue using SSAB’s Hardox steel powder, with an environmentally friendly PVD-coating on top. This tongue could be coated with newer, low-carbon plastics, to further reduce the overall carbon footprint of the product.
Together with SSAB, we are producing and testing components using different steel grades, which SSAB will be able to produce on a commercial scale in a fossil-free manner in the future, as well as looking into new technologies such as 3D printing.
In June 2023, SSAB welcomed Autoliv to their current steel plant as well as their pilot plant for fossil-free steelmaking. During the visit, the Autoliv team saw the future of carbon neutral steel being shaped and developed. The result of the steel produced in the pilot plant will be unique: the world's first fossil-free steelmaking technology with no carbon footprint.
The new Hybrit process aims to replace coking coal, traditionally needed for ore-based steelmaking, with hydrogen. Gradually switching to fossil-free steel in our products is an important step for Autoliv towards achieving our climate targets.
Sustainability is an integral part of our business. Our long-standing ambition is for our products to save 100,000 lives per year, and to be carbon neutral in our operations by 2030.
