SSAB and Heidelberg Materials have launched a joint research project to develop electric arc furnace (EAF) slag as an alternative binder in cement.
The project aims to utilize EAF slag as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM), reducing the carbon footprint of cement and construction applications. It has secured funding of over USD 2 mln from the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth, supported by the Just Transition Fund.
The four-year initiative brings together industry and research partners, including Lulea University of Technology, the University of Oulu and Swerim, focusing on optimizing slag processing and evaluating performance in cement and concrete applications from laboratory to pilot scale.
The partners aim to develop an industrially scalable solution aligned with SSAB’s transition to electric arc furnace-based steelmaking. The project builds on existing cooperation between the two companies, including the use of SSAB slag in cement production at Heidelberg Materials’ Slite plant in Sweden.
SSAB is a leading producer of advanced high-strength steel (AHSS) and quenched and tempered (Q&T) steel products, with an annual crude steel capacity of about 8.8 mln tons across its operations in Sweden, Finland, and the United States.