In HYBRIT’s planned demonstration plant, we are taking the next step in the development from the lab and pilot scale tests, which are underway today. In the demonstration plant, we will demonstrate production on an industrial scale, which is a necessary step in the development prior to full commercial operation.
The demonstration plant includes hydrogen production, and manufacturing of sponge iron by direct reduction with hydrogen. The facility is planned in Vitåfors in Gällivare Municipality, Sweden. The plan is to have a facility ready in 2026.
The project is now studying the conditions at location and different alternatives in order to design the outline of the process and set out the plant components for the best efficiency and safety and the minimum environmental impact. The same applies to the plant’s external energy supply and inputs as well as the deliveries of products and by-products.
At this point, the demonstration plant for direct reduction using fossil-free hydrogen does not include any large-scale hydrogen storage. The hydrogen to be used in the plant is produced adjoining the process and is used when it is produced. A demonstration hydrogen storage plant may be appropriate at a later stage, to verify this important element of the value chain on an industrial scale.