Swedish truck. making giant, Volvo has announced it is ramping up the use of low-CO2-emission steel in its trucks, having been the first truck manufacturer in the world to introduce this type of steel in its electric trucks two years ago.
The company now says it is expanding the use of low-CO2-emission steel to include all of its drivelines, including ICE trucks
Volvo says that the new steel is produced by the Swedish steel company SSAB and is known as SSAB Zero steel, adding that it is made from recycled materials and produced using fossil-free electricity and biogas.
The company claims that as a result, CO2 is reduced by around 80 per cent compared with the production of conventional steel using fossil energy.
Volvo says that from next year, the frame rails in around 12,000 of its FH and FM trucks will be made using low-CO2-emission steel, which will result in savings of approximately 6,600 tonnes of CO2 equivalents.
The colony said that as the availability of low-CO2-emission steel increases, it will be introduced into more truck models as well as in other parts of its trucks.
Volvo says it is also planning to replace other materials in its trucks with lower emissions alternatives.
“This is an additional step towards our zero emissions vision. Steel is one of the main materials in our trucks. We are also looking to exchange other materials, such as aluminium and plastic, to low emission alternatives. We are proud to lead the way in the industry when it comes to sustainable material in our trucks,” said Jan Hjelmgren, Volvo Trucks’ senior vice president of product management and quality.
The company claims that the potential for lowering CO2 emissions is high, as almost half of the truck consists of steel, around 47 per cent in the case of a Volvo FH diesel truck, and it represents about 44 per cent of the CO2 emissions from the production of the truck from cradle to gate, out of the total 21 tonnes CO2 equivalents for the Volvo FH diesel.
Volvo Group says that it is collaborating with several suppliers around low-CO2-emission steel, and that this will be an important complement to the traditional and recycled steel used in Volvo’s trucks.
Volvo Trucks says it is committed to the Paris agreement and to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in the supply chain by 2040, at the latest.
“We are continuously striving to further minimize our climate footprint. We are also moving towards greater circularity in both our operations and our trucks. Many of our factories, transports and dealers are today running on renewable energy,” said Hjelmgren.
The company said the main materials in a Volvo FH diesel truck are steel at around 47 per cent, cast iron at 26 per cent, polymers at 11 per cent and aluminium at eight per cent. They stand for around 44 per cent, 26 per cent, 14 per cent and eight per cent of the CO2 emissions from the production (cradle to gate) out of the total 21 tonnes of CO2 equivalents for the Volvo FH diesel.
