K-Tec has entered an agreement with SSAB, to become the first original equipment manufacturer of heavy-duty earth scrapers to pilot SSAB Fossil-free™️ steel in its earthmoving product line.
Part of the K.A. Group, K-Tec takes the first step toward eliminating carbon emissions by focusing on material selection. As a fossil-free partner to SSAB, K-Tec will have access to pilot deliveries of SSAB Fossil-free steel, which has virtually zero carbon dioxide emissions from the steelmaking process. The steel initially will be used in K-Tec’s key products serving the construction and mining industries.
K.A. Group’s President and CEO, Dan Pashniak says, “We are thrilled to have our K-Tec earthmoving equipment brand as the first scraper solution to incorporate SSAB Fossil-free steel, continuing our commitment to innovation. It is also an honor for our organization to be the first Canadian manufacturing partner to collaborate with SSAB in this crucial initiative to lead our industry. We are excited to partner with SSAB as they strive to provide environmental steel solutions to advance towards a sustainable future.”
This collaborative initiative is K-Tec’s next step in reducing emissions and improving sustainability for its customers. The company already designs, manufactures and delivers strong, lightweight earthmoving equipment built with SSAB’s Hardox® wear steel and Strenx® performance steel brands.
The massive advantage of K-Tec scrapers is using lightweight, strong steel, so that contractors can haul more material, instead of heavy iron. Additionally, K-Tec’s high-capacity scrapers allow for greater production requiring less cycles per day to shrink the earthmoving carbon footprint compared to traditional methods of earthmoving.
“This partnership demonstrates the commitment from both companies toward reducing carbon emissions,” says Johnny Sjöström, Head of Special Steels at SSAB. “Our transformation to change the way steel is made is well underway, and we are proud to already have reached this far in our journey towards a fossil-free future.”
As a market leader in premium steels, SSAB plans to revolutionize the entire steel-making process by producing steel with virtually zero carbon dioxide emissions. The pilot deliveries of SSAB Fossil-free steel are made using the unique HYBRIT-technology, which was jointly developed by SSAB, iron ore producer LKAB and energy company Vattenfall. It replaces the coking coal traditionally used for iron ore-based steelmaking with fossil-free electricity and green hydrogen. The by-product is water instead of carbon dioxide emissions.
K-Tec Earthmovers is a manufacturer of pull-pan ejector earthmoving scrapers and accessories for the construction & mining industries. K-Tec scrapers are used in topsoil, clay, sand, gypsum rock, and coal applications. K-Tec’s scrapers complete three functions of earthmoving by picking up material in the cut zone, transporting the load down a haul road, and ejecting the material in the desired fill area on a jobsite. K-Tec scraper capacity ranges from 28-63 cubic yards, pulled by Tractors or Articulated Dump Trucks (ADT’s), resulting in the largest scrapers in the marketplace, allowing for greater production requiring less cycles per day to shrink the earthmoving carbon footprint compared to traditional methods of earthmoving. K-Tec scrapers have two daily grease points to reduce maintenance time. K-Tec has an industry leading 3-year structural warranty and ISO 9001:2015 certification to stand behind the quality and workmanship of scrapers. For more information, visit www.ktec.com.
SSAB is a Nordic and U.S.-based steel company that builds value-added steel products and services. Working with our partners, SSAB has developed SSAB Fossil-freeTM steel and plans to reinvent the value chain from the mine to the end customer, largely eliminating carbon dioxide emissions from our own operations. SSAB Zero™️ is a largely carbon emission-free steel based on recycled steel. SSAB has employees in over 50 countries and production facilities in Sweden, Finland and the U.S.
For more information, visit www.ssab.com.
