Epiroc has become the first company in the mining industry to sign a delivery agreement with Swedish steelmaker SSAB for SSAB Zero™, a product made of recycled steel and produced with fossil-free electricity and biogas.

The steel will be used in Epiroc’s battery-electric range of underground mine trucks and loaders, set to be introduced as soon as the September quarter of 2023.

Sami Niiranen, President of Epiroc’s Underground division, said: “We are very excited to utilise SSAB’s pioneering low-carbon solutions. This is one of many ways that we are accelerating the transformation of the mining industry – while also helping our customers to reach their sustainability goals.”

SSAB Zero will be used in the production of Epiroc’s Smart and Green series of battery-electric mine trucks and loaders, enabling, it says, zero-emission underground operations. The partnership with SSAB is part of Epiroc’s long-term commitment to produce the world’s greenest machines and to halve CO2e emissions by 50% by 2030 compared with 2019, as well as SSAB’s aim to help create fossil-free value chains.

Thomas Hörnfeldt, Head of Sustainable Business at SSAB, said: “SSAB Zero broadens our zero emission portfolio and strengthens the business offering, allowing us to bring zero-emission steel to our customers already this year,. There is a large demand for this kind of steel; it is satisfying to have such an offer in place.”

Epiroc has now signed a delivery agreement for both of SSAB’s zero-emission steel types: SSAB Zero, based on recycled steel, and SSAB Fossil-free™, based on iron ore without fossil fuels. At the end of 2022, Epiroc showcased the world’s first underground mine truck made using fossil-free steel from SSAB, which is set to be available on a commercial scale during 2026.

SSAB Zero has zero fossil carbon emission (less than 0.05 kg CO2e emissions per kg steel in Scope 1 and 2 calculations) in operations, including purchased energy and transportation. The quality and properties of SSAB Zero will be equal to the steel currently used in Epiroc’s products, Epiroc says.