Amazon Web Services (AWS) has partnered with Swedish steel production company SSAB to procure fossil-free steel for its new data centres in Sweden. The agreement includes pilot deliveries of steel produced using SSAB’s innovative HYBRIT technology, marking a significant step in decarbonising data centre construction. SSAB’s subsidiary, Ruukki, will contribute roof and wall structures for the data centres.
AWS is currently constructing three data centres in the Mälardalen region of Sweden. To reduce carbon emissions from construction materials, the company is prioritising steel made from recycled scrap, which has a lower carbon footprint than traditional blast furnace steel. Recognising the limitations of scrap availability, AWS is also collaborating with SSAB and Ruukki to deliver HYBRIT-produced virgin steel, which uses a groundbreaking process to minimise emissions.
“We are thrilled to welcome AWS as a new partner. By choosing steel made with the HYBRIT technology, AWS shows it’s possible to reduce the carbon footprint of data centre construction regardless of whether the steel is made from scrap or virgin iron ore,” said Thomas Hörnfeldt, VP of Sustainable Business at SSAB.
HYBRIT technology, developed in partnership with iron ore producer LKAB and energy company Vattenfall, replaces traditional coking coal in steel production with hydrogen produced from fossil-free electricity. This method emits water vapour instead of carbon dioxide, significantly cutting emissions from steelmaking. The fossil-free steel will be utilized in Ruukki sandwich panels for AWS’s new data centre in Västerås.
“Reducing the embodied carbon associated with the construction of our data centres is a key priority for AWS as we work to achieve net-zero carbon across our operations by 2040. By partnering with innovative local companies like SSAB and Ruukki, we’re taking an important step to decarbonise the materials used in our data centres and set a new standard for sustainable infrastructure. We’re excited to be working with companies at the forefront of low-carbon virgin steel production,” said Kellen O’Connor, Managing Director Europe North at AWS.
Steel production contributes approximately 7% of global CO2 emissions, encompassing both virgin and recycled steel processes. With HYBRIT, SSAB aims to revolutionise steelmaking by eliminating fossil fuels from the production chain and establishing a fossil-free value chain in collaboration with customers and partners.
