ABB technology for greater circularity in metals and mining industries
March 2025
PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
ABB has been selected by GreenIron, an innovative Swedish company working in the mining and metals industries with its patented materials reduction technology, to provide automation and control system solutions for a first commercial facility in Sandviken, Sweden.
GreenIron’s hydrogen-based reduction technology will be industrialised for fossil-free and energy-efficient production of metals, producing fossil-free sponge iron that can be used in industries such as steelmaking. A single furnace is expected to reduce carbon emissions by around 56 000 tons per year compared to traditional coal-based methods, with the only residual product being water. Scaling up to 300 furnaces would correspond to roughly 35 percent of Sweden’s annual CO2 emissions.
The integration of the ABB Ability System 800xA distributed control system (DCS) will enable the scaling up of GreenIron’s operations. The powerful automation platform will manage the entire industrial process, with the capabilities to integrate control, safety and power management into one system. It will mean overall plant visibility for optimisations, efficiencies and better decision making based on data and insights.
GreenIron paves the way for circular production processes by producing valuable raw materials from residual products such as landfills and residues, as well as virgin ore. The sponge iron products can be used in steel or other metal fabrication processes, including electric arc furnaces, smelting plants and foundries.
“The collaboration with ABB is a crucial part of our scaling up and future growth as we commence commercial production,” said Ulrika Molander, chief operating officer of GreenIron. “ABB’s system will enable us to make informed decisions, stabilise operations at every stage, and analyse data for our continued journey. It’s an exciting time for us.”
“Together with GreenIron we’re working to fulfil sustainability objectives that are demanded by the metals industry and wider society,” said Martin Björnmalm, local business line manager for Metals, ABB Process Industries Sweden. “This is the type of project that underlines our actions in helping industries to outrun leaner and cleaner, and also aligns with an innovative process developed by our customer over many years. With this order we will work on supporting an impactful industrial solution, bringing our technologies that are entirely scalable for future expansion. Our people are also using their expertise from mining and metals to ensure productivity and efficiency through centralised control rooms, production scheduling, and cost and resource modelling.”
ABB and GreenIron’s technologies are compatible with renewable, intermittent power sources like solar and wind. The goal is to contribute to the creation of a CO2-free value chain, from the extraction of ore to the production of steel and various metals. Together, these industries account for around 8% of global CO2 emissions, according to International Energy Agency (IEA) figures.
As industries undergo increased digital transformation, System 800xA remains key to ensuring safe, efficient and reliable operations, enabling the collection of valuable data and analytics for real-time insights. ABB’s DCS technology has been at the heart of process and energy industry operations for more than 40 years.
For more information contact ABB South Africa, +27 10 202 5105, [email protected], www.abb.com/za
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