The HYBRIT initiative, launched in 2016 by SSAB, LKAB, and Vattenfall, aims to develop fossil-free, ore-based iron and steel production by replacing coal and coke with fossil-free hydrogen. As part of this value chain, a pilot facility for fossil-free hydrogen storage was commissioned in 2022 in Svartöberget, adjacent to HYBRIT’s pilot plant for direct reduction of iron ore pellets in Luleå. The extended temporary building permit allows continued pilot operation of the storage facility until 2031.
Fossil-free hydrogen is described as a crucial component in the production technology for fossil-free iron and steel, where carbon dioxide emissions are essentially eliminated. Hydrogen storage is considered to have significant potential to reduce the production cost of hydrogen and to support future power and energy balancing in large-scale hydrogen production.
“It is positive that the facility will continue to be available for testing in the future. It is a unique facility, and being able to carry out additional tests when needed is of great value as the technology is scaled up. The project’s tests have shown that hydrogen storage functions effectively within the HYBRIT value chain, supporting large-scale hydrogen users. A hydrogen storage shows likely savings of around 25–40% of the variable operating cost for hydrogen production,” said Marie Anheden, Project Manager at Vattenfall.
The extended permit makes it possible to continue exploring the role of hydrogen storage within the Swedish energy system through ongoing tests. According to HYBRIT, hydrogen storage is an important element in electrifying industrial processes while increasing the share of weather-dependent power. The facility’s safety, function, and performance have been demonstrated since 2022, and the project concludes that the technology is ready for industrialization.
“HYBRIT’s tests in the pilot facility in Luleå prove that the technology is ready for industrialisation and can help reduce production costs for hydrogen. We want to continue building knowledge and experience to further development of large-scale commercial storage facilities – next by continue developing integration with both the direct reduction process and the energy system through additional tests,” said Gunilla Hyllander, CEO of Hybrit Development.
The pilot-scale storage facility, with a capacity of 100 m³, is built in a rock cavern fitted with a steel liner located 30 m below ground in Svartöberget. Building the storage in a rock cavern makes it possible to ensure, in a cost-efficient way, the pressure required to store large amounts of energy in the form of hydrogen. The facility is built in accordance with applicable high safety requirements.
Since 2022, the pilot storage facility has operated intermittently with hydrogen gas in campaigns lasting three to six weeks. By the end of 2025, it is expected to have reached around 5,700 operating hours with combined hydrogen gas production and storage at 96% availability. The storage has also undergone accelerated mechanical testing through frequent variations between high and low storage pressure, corresponding to the mechanical load expected over at least fifty years of operation.
