In a significant stride towards decarbonizing heavy industry, SSAB, a Swedish steel manufacturer, has announced that its SSAB Zero™ steel, the world’s first near-zero CO2e steel, will be incorporated into onshore wind towers by GE Vernova. This groundbreaking development, revealed on September 24, 2025, marks a critical step in reducing the substantial carbon footprint associated with steel production and the manufacturing of renewable energy infrastructure.
A New Era for Sustainable Steel and Wind Energy
SSAB Zero™ steel, produced at SSAB Americas’ facility in Montpelier, Iowa, is set to be deployed in GE Vernova’s onshore wind towers across North America, particularly in the United States. This collaboration directly addresses a major source of emissions within the wind energy supply chain. Guy Lynch, Executive Director of Global Sourcing at Onshore Wind for GE Vernova, emphasized that this offering supports their ongoing efforts to decarbonize products and significantly reduce Scope 1 and Scope 2 tower steel carbon emissions.
The Technology Behind Near-Zero Emissions
The “near-zero” designation for SSAB Zero™ is achieved through a meticulous production process that results in less than 0.05 kg of CO2 emissions per kilogram of steel from melt to cast (Scope 1 and 2). This innovative steel is made using recycled scrap metal, fossil-free electricity, biocoal, renewable natural gas, and crucially, hydrogen-reduced iron produced via SSAB’s HYBRIT® technology. By replacing traditional coking coal with green hydrogen in the iron reduction process, and powering operations with fossil-free energy, SSAB has fundamentally transformed steelmaking to drastically cut carbon output.
Decarbonizing the Wind Energy Supply Chain
The steel industry is a notoriously carbon-intensive sector, accounting for approximately 7% of global CO2 emissions. For the wind energy sector, which aims to provide clean power, the carbon footprint of its manufacturing processes, especially steel components, has been a persistent challenge. Wind turbine towers, for instance, consist of about 80% steel plates, and their production contributes over one-third of all wind-turbine-related CO2 emissions.
The adoption of SSAB Zero™ by GE Vernova represents a significant leap forward in tackling these embedded emissions. It allows for a substantial reduction in the overall lifecycle carbon footprint of wind turbines, aligning the manufacturing process more closely with the clean energy they produce.
Meeting International Standards
SSAB’s achievement has been recognized for meeting the stringent near-zero emissions thresholds set by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the First Movers Coalition (FMC). The IEA’s standard for near-zero-emission steel ranges from 50 kg to 400 kg of CO2-equivalent per tonne of crude steel, depending on scrap content. Both SSAB and GE Vernova are members of the First Movers Coalition, an initiative that leverages corporate buying power to accelerate the development and adoption of low-carbon materials like green steel.
Broader Industry Movement Towards Green Steel
While SSAB is making headlines with its near-zero CO2e steel, the broader wind industry is also actively pursuing lower-emission steel solutions. Other prominent players like Siemens Gamesa and ENERCON have also begun offering options for more sustainable wind turbine towers. Siemens Gamesa, for example, introduced its “GreenerTower” in April 2023, aiming for at least a 63% CO2 reduction in tower steel plates compared to conventional steel, through partnerships with suppliers like Salzgitter AG. Similarly, ENERCON has partnered with Salzgitter AG subsidiary Ilsenburger Grobblech GmbH to incorporate lower-emission hybrid steel towers into its portfolio, achieving over 70% CO2 reduction by utilizing recycled materials, electric arc furnaces, and green electricity. Vestas has also established a partnership with ArcelorMittal for low-emission steel, capable of reducing CO2 by at least 52% for an entire onshore tower. These initiatives underscore a growing industry-wide commitment to decarbonizing the entire wind energy value chain.
The Path Forward for Green Industrialization
The commercial availability and deployment of near-zero CO2 steel for critical infrastructure like wind towers signals a pivotal moment for global decarbonization efforts. This innovation demonstrates that achieving ambitious climate goals requires not only the generation of clean energy but also the transformation of fundamental industrial processes. The partnership between SSAB and GE Vernova highlights how cross-sector collaboration can accelerate the transition to a more sustainable and secure energy economy. As the demand for renewable energy continues to surge, the ability to produce essential components with a dramatically reduced carbon footprint will be crucial in the ongoing fight against climate change.
