Sweden-based steelmaker SSAB AB (STO: SSAB-A, HEL: SSABBH) and Finnish engineering company JTK Power have jointly developed the marine industry's first engine silencer made from SSAB Zero steel, SSAB said on Friday.

SSAB supplied around four tonnes of SSAB Zero steel for the project. Manufactured in an electric arc furnace from recycled steel, SSAB Zero steel is engineered to cut carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by up to 77% compared with SSAB's blast-furnace hot-rolled steel, reducing the silencer's emissions by nearly half versus a conventional alternative.

JTK Power, which manufactures steel solutions for power plants, construction, and marine and process industries worldwide, said silencers are central to reducing noise emissions, particularly in power plants near residential areas.

The silencer concept emerged as SSAB and JTK explored practical uses for decarbonised steel, using weather-resistant SSAB Weathering steel supplied as four-millimetre sheets, which the companies say performed comparably to conventional steel during cutting, bending, and welding.

SSAB Zero steel is currently sourced from SSAB's US plant, with production in Sweden planned once the Oxelösund electric arc furnace is completed by the end of 2026, enabling shorter delivery times and higher capacity.

The low-emission silencer is expected to enter marine service in spring 2026, with both companies citing commercial potential for wider adoption of low-emission solutions in shipping.