Successfully developed manufacturing technology for high-quality synthetic graphite electrode rods with a diameter of 300mm as a national project
Stabilized supply chain by utilizing by-products from steelmaking processes to supply electrode rods, which were previously entirely imported
Continued collaborative efforts involving RIST, POSCO MC Materials, POSTECH, Kumoh National Institute of Technology, supported by POSCO Group
POSCO Future M has successfully localized the manufacturing technology for electrode rods, an essential material in the steel production process.
Electrode rods are high-value-added carbon materials used in electric furnaces to melt steel scrap into molten iron or in refining processes to remove impurities from molten iron produced in blast furnaces. These rods convert electrical energy into thermal energy; the larger the diameter and the higher the electrode density, the greater the power output, thereby enhancing production efficiency.
Recently, with the global steel market placing greater emphasis on ESG management, there has been increasing interest in electric furnace operations that emit less carbon than traditional blast furnaces. This shift has led to a gradual rise in demand for high-density electrode rods. POSCO Future M’s successful localization of manufacturing technology for 300mm diameter high-quality UHP (Ultra High Power) electrode rods is expected to strengthen the competitiveness of the domestic steel industry.
In particular, POSCO Future M is expected to significantly contribute to stabilizing the domestic steel industry’s production system by localizing electrode rod manufacturing technology using needle coke derived from coal tar, a byproduct of POSCO’s steelmaking process—especially meaningful given the expanding export controls on critical raw materials across various countries.
Due to the inability to localize manufacturing technology, the domestic steel industry has been entirely reliant on imports of over 30,000 tons of electrode rods annually from countries such as China, Japan, and India. This reliance has consistently posed risks to the material supply chain. In 2017, a shortage of Chinese electrode rods threatened the operations of small to medium-sized electric furnace steelmakers. Furthermore, in 2019, when the Japanese government excluded South Korea from the ‘Whitelist’ (a preferential export screening list), concerns arose over electrode rod shortages and the potential decline in electric furnace efficiency due to the use of low-quality electrode rods.
The development of domestically produced electrode rods is also regarded as a prime example of successful public-private collaboration. In 2020, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy initiated the national project ‘Development of 300mm and Above Synthetic Graphite Electrode Rod Technology’ under the Carbon Industry Foundation Creation Project. POSCO Future M was selected as the lead organization for this project and, after four years and nine months of research and development, succeeded in localizing electrode rod manufacturing technology.
The Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology (RIST), a joint participant in the national project, conducted product and process development and established manufacturing facilities. POSCO MC Materials, POSTECH(Pohang Accelerator Laboratory), and Kumoh National Institute of Technology were responsible for improving raw material properties, optimizing manufacturing processes, and developing prototypes.
Additionally, at the POSCO Group level, the POSCO Technology Research Institute’s Low Carbon Steelmaking Research Institute supported technology development through the ‘Electrode Rod Localization Development Council’ and established a testing space for electrode rods within the institute’s ‘HyREX & Casting Laboratory,’ aiding in the development of electrode rod localization technology.
Cho Yong-ho, Director of the Basic Materials Business Division at POSCO Future M, stated, “Through close collaboration and recognizing the necessity of localizing electrode rods, which were entirely dependent on imports, we have secured high-quality electrode rod manufacturing technology. This achievement is expected to be a turning point for stabilizing the domestic steel industry’s material supply chain and securing global competitiveness.”
Looking ahead, POSCO Future M plans to explore the commercialization of electrode rods in alignment with market conditions. Furthermore, the company intends to strengthen group-level collaboration with POSCO, which commenced constructing an electric furnace plant at Gwangyang Steelworks earlier this year, to establish low-carbon steelmaking processes.
▲POSCO Future M’s 300mm diameter UHP (Ultra High Power) electrode rod with localized manufacturing technology.