STEEL SECTOR aids sustainability efforts

Volvo Group partners with SSAB on ‘green steel’ for off-highway machines and with Ovako for access to fossil-free hydrogen.

Alternative propulsion technologies such as batteries and hydrogen fuel cells garner much of the attention for how the commercial-vehicle and off-highway sectors can reduce their climate impact. Volvo Group is no exception, expending significant development resources on such solutions. But the company prides itself on identifying new ways to achieve “net zero” - thus, its collaboration with steel makers SSAB and Ovako targeting cleaner vehicle and hydrogen production.

Volvo's “green steel” collaboration with SSAB is centered on creating fossil-free vehicles. In 2020, 1.87 million tonnes of crude steel were produced worldwide, 16% of which was destined for the transport sector, according to the World Steel Association. Around 70% of a truck's weight comes from steel and cast iron, Volvo said, and the figure for its construction machines is even higher.