POSCO’s certified plates boast high strength compared to standard specifications, meeting the demand for economical design
The uniform yield strength of the plate products lays the foundation for application in global offshore wind power projects
Enhancement of quality competitiveness and development of customer-specific steel products to capture the rapidly growing global demand for offshore wind power steel
On the 17th, POSCO received a renewable energy plant certification plaque from the Norwegian Classification Society (DNV; Det Norske Veritas)*, a prestigious professional certification body in the field of energy.
*The Norwegian Classification Society (DNV) is the world’s largest technical organization specializing in energy, offering technical assessments and certifications for safety in materials and designs across energy, oil and gas, and maritime industries.
POSCO’s Pohang Works Plate Rolling Department was certified as a renewable energy steel production plant (Shop approval in renewable energy) by the Norwegian Classification Society on January 3, following the Gwangyang Works Plate Rolling Plant in July 2022, marking all POSCO’s plate production plants as certified for renewable energy steel production.
Certification from institutions like the Norwegian Classification Society is essential for undertaking global offshore wind power projects. With this certification, POSCO has enhanced the reliability of its plate products and strengthened its marketing competitiveness.
Additionally, with this certification, the plate products produced at Pohang Works now meet the European Standard specifications EN*-S355 and EN-S420, while achieving uniform Yield Point (YP)** strength. This development enables their application in the design of wind power structures in Europe and other global markets.
*EN (European Norm): European Standard
** Yield Point (YP): The strength a material can withstand before permanent deformation occurs due to external forces.
Typically, as steel becomes thicker, its yield strength decreases, but the EN-S355 certified products guarantee a uniform yield strength of 355MPa even at a thickness of 120mm, meeting the manufacturing conditions required by the European standard for wind power.
Additionally, when applied to wind power structures of 8MW or higher, these products can reduce steel weight by about 5% compared to conventional European standard materials without significant cost differences in manufacturing. POSCO’s uniform yield strength products are expected to provide solutions to customers amid the increase in wind turbine sizes and raw material price rises and contribute to reducing the Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE).
During the certification plaque ceremony on January 17, Young-ki Seo, Head of POSCO Energy and Shipbuilding Materials Marketing Office, stated, “Receiving certification for both our heavy plate products and factories for renewable energy use from a global classification society is a first and unique achievement for POSCO. Based on this certification, we will actively pursue capturing the steel demand in the future offshore wind power market.”
Amidst the global trend of energy transition, the wind power market, centered on offshore wind, is projected to grow at an annual rate of about 15%. In the future, POSCO plans to enhance the quality competitiveness of its wind-power plate products and continue developing customer-specific steel solutions.
▲The Plate Rolling Plant at Pohang Works received approval as a wind power product manufacturing plant from DNV and held a plaque awarding ceremony on January 17. (From left) Heun-ho Hong, Head of Pohang Works Plate Rolling Department; Young-min Baek President of DNV Korea; Young-ki Seo Head of POSCO Energy and Shipbuilding Materials Marketing Office; Jin-bo Kim, Deputy Head of Pohang Works Process and Quality Sector.