(CNN) — On a strip of land in northern Sweden, not far from the Arctic Circle, a new facility is taking shape which could help revolutionize one of the planet’s dirtiest industries: steelmaking.
By 2026, if all goes to plan, the site just outside Boden will be filled with industrial buildings painted white, silver and black – colors to reflect the region’s mountains and lakes – and huge, brick-red towers.
This complex will be world’s first large-scale “green steel” project, according to H2 Green Steel, the Swedish company behind the multi-billion-dollar mill.
Instead of burning coal, it will use “green hydrogen” produced with renewable electricity. The company says its process will cut carbon pollution by 95% compared to traditional steelmaking, and is aiming to produce 5 million metric tons of green steel by 2030.
It will mark another step toward overhauling the steel sector, but the path to cleaning up this polluting industry is a challenging …