Hiab shows the world’s first hooklift made from fossil-free steel

Hiab, part of Cargotec, will show the world’s first hooklift made from fossil-free steel at IAA TRANSPORTATION in Hannover, Germany, 20 - 25 September. On display inside Hiab’s Pavilion P35 is a MULTILIFT Ultima hooklift made with a majority of the first available fossil-free steel, from SSAB, which has the same properties as conventionally produced steel. 

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In 2026, SSAB aims to have fossil-free steel commercially available. This will enable Hiab to start producing load handling equipment made from material with lower carbon emission. Cargotec and SSAB have agreed to work on the introduction of fossil-free steel to the load handling industry in a strategic partnership. In the test production of fossil-free steel delivered to Hiab, SSAB used Hybrit technology to make steel with hydrogen instead of coal, eliminating the majority of the CO2 emissions in the steelmaking process.

Steel production accounts for 7% of the global CO2 emissions and is Hiab’s single biggest contributor to the carbon footprint when producing load handling equipment like MULTILIFT hooklifts. The global average for production of iron-ore-based steel is 2 tonnes CO2 emissions per tonne of steel produced, compared with virtually zero for the production of fossil-free steel using fossil-free electricity.

Fossil-free steel has the same properties as conventional steel, but as it is produced with a significantly lower climate impact, using it would reduce Hiab’s value chain CO2 emissions. Hiab’s target is to reduce this by at least 50% and have carbon-neutral operations by 2030. 

“Hiab is a leading provider of sustainable load handling solutions and the use of SSAB’s fossil-free steel in our products will pave the way to reducing the carbon footprint of our industry. The target to halve our CO2 value chain emissions is ambitious but at the same time a business opportunity where we can help our customers to achieve their sustainability agendas. It is with great pride that we can present this MULTILIFT hooklift, which is the first of many load handling equipment units to be made from fossil-free steel,” says Pauliina Kunvik, Senior Vice President Demountables, Forestry & Recycling Cranes, Hiab. 

Cargotec and Hiab are committed to the United Nations Global Compact’s Business Ambition for 1.5°C, to pursue science-based measures to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C.