During the year, Swedish steel mills produced 4.3 million tons of steel
Swedish steelmakers reduced steel production by 3.3% in 2023 compared to 2022, to 4.3 million tonnes. As a result, the country ranked 36th in the world ranking of steel-producing countries WorldSteel, according to a report from the association.
Sweden has 6 operating steel mills, including:
- SSABOxelösund – (capacity: steel – 1.5 million t/year, pig iron – 1.55 million t/year);
- Ovako Smedjebacken – (steel – 1.01 million tons/year);
- Outokumpu Avesta – (steel – 0.5 million tons/year);
- Ovako Hofors – (steel – 0.5 million tons/year);
- HYBRID – (steel – 1 million tons/year; pig iron – 1.3 million tons/year);
- SSAB Luleå – (steel – 2.3 million t/year; pig iron 2.55 million t/year).
Thus, the country's total steel capacity is estimated at around 6.8 million tons per year. At the same time, the country announced the construction of 6.7 million tons per year of DRI and EAF steel production facilities to replace blast furnaces.
In September 2023, H2 Green Steel raised €1.5 billion in equity from a group of investors to finance the construction of a major green steel plant in Sweden and Europe's first large-scale electrolyser. The Buden plant is expected to start production at the end of 2025 with an initial total capacity of 2.5 million tonnes of steel per year. HYBRIT (2.7 million tonnes per year) and SSAB (1.5 million tonnes per year) will also switch to green facilities.
As previously reported, in 2022, Sweden reduced steel production by 6% compared to 2021, to 4.4 million tons. At the same time, in 2021, Swedish steel mills increased production by 6.1% compared to the previous year – to 4.7 million tons.
Overall, steel production in EU countries in 2023 decreased by 7.4% compared to 2022, to 126.3 million tons.
