Swedish court upholds construction permit for new SSAB steel mill in Lulea

The Swedish Court of Appeal for Land and Environmental Issues has issued a ruling confirming the permission of the Swedish SSAB company, which produces special steel, to build and operate a new steel mill in Luleå, Sweden, which is a key step for the company's transition from blast furnace production to electric arc production.

SSAB was initially approved in December 2024, but this decision has been appealed by environmental groups. The approval of the Court of Appeal removes legal uncertainty and allows the project to proceed without further delay.

The new plant will ensure cost competitiveness and reduce carbon dioxide emissions

According to SSAB, the new plant is designed to:

• Replace outdated blast furnace production with modern EDF technology, increase economic efficiency and flexibility.
• Offer a more attractive product range with premium steels, more adaptively supporting fluctuations in demand.
• Reduce carbon dioxide emissions from steel production in Lulea by up to 90 percent, which makes a significant contribution to achieving climate and environmental goals.

Implementation schedule and next steps

Work on the new plant has already begun in mid-2025, and the official groundbreaking ceremony took place in September on November 17, 2025, in the presence of representatives of the Swedish energy and industry.

The Court of Appeal's ruling removes the remaining legal obstacles, allowing full-scale construction, equipment installation, and commissioning to continue. SSAB has committed to comply with the terms of permits and environmental monitoring requirements after the plant is put into operation.