POSCO started supporting the team last year after CEO Ohjoon Kwon watched the team take the bronze medal at the 2017 World Championships. As shown in the documentary, the athletes were playing on insufficient sledges that would often break down and cause injuries. Some players were fixing their own sledges between matches, others made do with what they had. CEO Kwon knew POSCO had the solutions for the team and started a project with sledge-maker Massive Blade to revamp the sledges for the team. Now, ahead of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Paralympics, the team is equipped and ready with the world’s leading technology.

SEE ALSO: How POSCO’s Advanced Technology Gives Speed to Korea’s Para Ice Hockey Team

Parallel: A Documentary

Parallel was directed by Kyungman Kim in 2012. He wanted to make the movie to document the para ice hockey players’ endurance and grit in overcoming their physical limitations through the sport. “However, as I started editing the footage and putting it all together, I noticed how happy the players looked on the ice. That’s when I decided the documentary was going to be about happiness – what it really means to be happy. That’s what I want to share with viewers,” said director Kim.

Director Kim couldn’t help but notice the smile on the players’ faces. (Source: Taehung Pictures Naver Post)

That’s exactly what the movie delivers. Of course, the players face challenges every day due to their injuries and physical conditions, but the interviews in the documentary reveal the players to be genuinely happy and grateful for their sport. Seunghwan Jung, one of the players, says, “I used to wish I had legs all the time, but when I started playing hockey, the thought just never crossed my mind. In a way, the sport has allowed me to accept myself… understand myself.”

One of the players take break from intense training. (Source: Taehung Pictures Naver Post)

For many of the players, playing para ice hockey has been a healing process, but it doesn’t end there. The team is as competitive as any other Olympic team, and even with a lack of spectators and interest in the sport, the national team has produced impressive results. In the 2010 Vancouver Winter Paralympics, the team placed 6th, and then 7th in Sochi in 2014. This is even more remarkable given the poor equipment, especially the sledges, they were using at the time.

POSCO Gives Ice Sledges a Technological Makeover

In order to qualify as a para ice hockey player, a person must have a physical impairment in the lower part of their body, but this can come in many different forms. As a result, one of the biggest challenges teams face is finding sledges that fit, protect and enhance each player. Before POSCO signed on as a sponsor, the Korean National Team relied on expensive imported sledges from Canada that were heavy and susceptible to structural damage from harsh contact. On average, 5 to 7 sledges required repair work during a single game. In an attempt to produce the first domestic sledge, POSCO’s researchers jumped on board to provide sledge-producer Massive Blade the materials for a lightweight, strong and corrosion resistant sledge.

Researchers at POSCO’s Research Institute of Industrial Science & Technology (RIST), came up with a way to use magnesium as the main material for the sledge frame. Magnesium is one of the lightest materials available as it is one third lighter than aluminum, but it is extremely hard to treat and bend into shape. RIST not only developed the technology to treat magnesium, but also applied it to sledges for the first time in history. POSCO also provided its advanced high-manganese anti-vibration steel and stainless steel to finish off the new sledges, fit for a national team.

RIST researchers developed a processing technology to increase the moldability of magnesium.

Outfitted with the new sledges, the team beat out strong European teams in the 2017 World Championships to place 3rd, and just last month, they won a four-nation friendly tournament in Japan. Now, they have their eyes on an Olympic medal in PyeongChang.

Regardless of the results, POSCO will continue to support the Korean National Para Ice Hockey Team so they can continue doing what makes them and others around them happy.

Cover photo courtesy of Hello PyeongChang.

It’s no easy task to prepare a city for such big-scale events, but it’s a great opportunity for host cities to boost their economy and make a lasting impression on visitors. For most, the airport will be their first impression of the city, so host cities have vamped-up their airports with the help of steel.  

Take a look at the airports expecting the most traffic in the beginning of the year:

Guarulhos International Airport – Brazil

Every year, from February 24 to 28, the people of Rio de Janeiro hold the Carnival, which unofficially lasts from the end of December to March in the form of hundreds of street parties called blocos. In 2017, more than 1.1 million people showed up for the Carnival from all over the world and spent about USD 782 million during their stay. The Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) is the busiest airport in Brazil, and traffic has tripled from 12.9 million people in 2004 to 39.5 million in 2014. To accommodate the growing number of passengers, the airport has undergone several additions and renovations in the past couple of years.

Terminal 3 at Guarulhos International Airport opened in 2014 ahead of the FIFA World Cup. (Source: Passenger Terminal Today)

Ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, GRU built the 192,000 square-meter Terminal 3 to increase its passenger capacity by 12 million, bringing up the total capacity to 42 million. Terminal 3 consists of 2 main buildings made up of 40 metal modules weighing 70 tons each, held together by concrete pillars.

Then, in 2016, Terminal 2 was renovated ahead of the Summer Olympic Games to fit modern airport standards. With a budget of USD 50 million, architects took existing facilities that were close to 30 years old and rebuilt them into the modernized Terminal 2. The new terminal now accommodates plenty of retail space and a massive food court, and non-aeronautical revenues make up 51 percent of the airport’s entire revenue.

It seems the airport, and the city, made a lasting impression as last year, over 94 percent of tourists that took part in a survey said they would make another trip to the city and over 91 percent responded they would recommend Rio to their friends.

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport – USA

The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) is another airport that sees millions of visitors every year during the month of February. Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, landed on February 13 this year, marking the end of a month-long celebration. It’s basically the American version of the Rio Carnival, and social crews or Krewes organize different parties all over town. The event draws about 1.4 million participants on average.

The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport’s North Terminal is scheduled for completion in 2019. (Source: Atkins)

Starting in 2016, MSY is working to complete a 972,000 square-foot North Terminal by February 2019. The project will cost about USD 1 billion to construct. When finished, the new terminal will include 35 new gates, a massive parking garage for 2200 cars as well as a central utility plant.

Besides increasing the passenger capacity, the project created about 64,000 jobs and generated USD 6.4 billion in local spending and USD 2.4 billion in local earnings. The project is also responsible for tons of steel consumption in the form of beams, bars and panels. On November 17, 2017, workers erected a steel beam at the highest elevation of the new terminal, signaling the project will most likely be completed on schedule.

Incheon International Airport – Korea

It’s not every year Korea gets thousands of visitors in the month of February, but as the host for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, Incheon International Airport (ICN) is bustling with passengers. Global passenger flights were up 15 percent this year compared to last year, and up 24 percent in the U.S. alone. In Vietnam, bookings were up 550 percent from the previous year, the Philippines saw a 200 percent increase and Canadians booked 40 percent more flights, all in time for the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Incheon International Airport’s second passenger terminal opened on January 18, 2018. (Source: Medium)

To greet the growing number of passengers, ICN completed its second terminal earlier this year using POSCO’s 446M steel. The same type of steel was used to build the first passenger terminal in 2001, but this time, architects decided to apply a special process called Bead Blast to create a rough texture on the roof of the terminal to minimize reflectivity as it can interfere with sight during take-off and landing. The steel also contains high amounts of chromium (26%) and molybdenum (2%), making it extra corrosion resistant.

As the #1 ranked airport in service quality for the last 10 years, ICN will now be able to service more passengers, 72 million to be exact, and 5.8Mt of cargo every year.

SEE ALSO: POSCO’s World Premium Stainless Steel Products, Preferred Option for Strength and Beauty

Airports play a central role in the tourism industry of its respective country, and the national economy as a whole. Steel continues to be the most widely-used construction material for the building and renovation of bustling airports around the world, and will continue to help cities make a lasting impression on all its visitors.

Cover photo courtesy of Wilmotte & Associés.

The budget for the entire event was estimated to be around USD 10 to 13 billion to get PyeongChang in prime shape to host more than 6000 athletes and officials from all over the world. As a result, the winter games will take place in 13 different venues, 6 of which have been newly built and the remaining 7 were renovated specifically for use during these games.

The Olympic flame lands in PyeongChang during the flame lighting ceremony. (Source: Sputnik News)

As the biggest steelmaker in Korea, POSCO played a crucial part in building the International Broadcast Center (IBC), Media Residence Hotel and the Kwandong Hockey Center with its World Premium Products and innovative construction solutions.

SEE ALSO: POSCO Steel Shines at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics

International Broadcast Center

This year’s Winter Olympics will set a new record as the first Olympics to be broadcast live in all U.S. time zones, and all of this will be coordinated through the IBC. POSCO custom-made H-beams for the center’s pillars and columns using Pos-H, a type of steel produced by precisely cutting and welding POSCO’s hot-rolled steel plates and thick plates together.

The HSA5-based Pos-H is seismic wave resistant and can be customized to fit specific height and thickness requirements for different parts of a building. Plus, compared to existing hot-rolled steel which only comes in a standard size, manufacturers have the added benefit of reducing the amount of steel used, thus saving costs.

For the first time ever, all time zones in the U.S. can watch live coverage of the Olympics. (Source: Heerim)

POSCO also applied GI-Ace steel and fire-resistant cladding to the IBC’s columns to not only increase fire resistance but reduce construction time. POSCO’s dry fire-resistant cladding is different from traditional methods that require numerous layers of fire-resistant paint to be applied, requiring additional manpower and hours to complete. Dry-cladding can be wrapped around the surface of the columns in a one-time process.

Finally, the 5-story IBC is now capable of supporting a much larger load thanks to a new composite beam with concrete integrated into POSCO’s SM490 steel. Overall, POSCO supplied 8,218 tons of steel for the IBC.

Media Residence Hotel

The Media Residence Hotel is another important facility POSCO’s materials and construction solutions played a vital role in. POSCO wrapped the exterior walls of the 300-room, 4-story building with PosMAC, a magnesium alloy coating, that is 10 times more corrosion resistant than standard galvanized steel.

The interior walls are also lined with steel. Instead of wallpaper, the Media Residence Hotel is lined with a special type of printed steel that feels like fabric to the touch. POSCO also applied PosMAC to the modular bathroom floors instead of traditional tiles. PosMac is 5 times more corrosion-resistant than zinc plating, and has an aesthetically-pleasing finish. POSCO’s stainless steel, PossSD, made up other parts of the bathroom as it is also highly corrosion-resistant and workable. In addition, each entrance was made with POSCO’s high-strength and corrosion-resistant 329LD duplex stainless steel with surface treatment and color processing.

Media Residence Hotel was constructed off-site, then put together at the venue. (Source: The Korea Herald)

What’s noteworthy about this construction project is that 100 percent of the building was constructed off-site via modular construction. Compared to the time it would take to build a traditional concrete building of the same scope, the construction period for the Media Residence Hotel was 18 months shorter. Since each room is a relocatable building unit, it will be moved to a different venue and recycled as another hotel or dormitory. All in all, POSCO supplied 1,405 tons of steel for the entire construction project.

Kwandong Hockey Center

Kwandong Hockey Center will be home to some of the most exciting action of the winter games, and the facility was built on the “ice wave” concept to reflect the dynamics of ice hockey, waves of the nearby East Sea and the region’s strong winds.

Again, POSCO’s duplex stainless steel 329LD was used to cover the stadium’s exterior to protect against rapid corrosion that is prevalent in coastal areas. Aside from protection against corrosion, the stainless steel is extremely high in strength, allowing the builders to reduce the thickness of the steel plates by 25 percent compared to standard types of stainless steel.

POSCO’s duplex stainless steel keeps the Kwandong Hockey Center strong and corrosion-free. (Source: Curbed)

POSCO also aided the construction process by providing additional support such as internal wind pressure structural analysis, surface treatment and a panel processability evaluation to maximize the benefits of POSCO’s products.

With these new and upgraded facilities completed, PyeongChang is now equipped and ready to host the 23rd Winter Olympics. The only thing left to do now is to witness history as the best athletes from all over the world compete for gold. Best of luck to all the Olympic and Paralympic athletes!  

Cover photo courtesy of Snow Best.

India’s Solar Energy Market

Solar energy is an extremely vital and rapidly developing industry in India. From May 2014 to March 2017, the country quadrupled its solar generation capacity. The average cost of solar electricity is 18 percent below the average price of coal-fired energy, making solar electricity the cheapest form of alternative fuel in India.  

The Indian government is fully supportive of this market, setting a goal of USD 100 billion in investment and 100 gigawatts (GW) of solar capacity for the country by 2022. Solar is particularly important in the rural areas of India where there is limited access to electricity, so the government plans to install solar lanterns, home and street lighting systems and solar cookers.

The world’s largest solar farm is in Tamil Nadu, India. (Source: Alternative Energies)

In November 2017, India became home to the world’s largest solar farm in Kamuthi, Tamil Nadu. The farm covers 2,500 acres with 2.5 million solar modules. India’s solar electricity market has the potential for further expansion, and global suppliers and manufacturers are taking notice.  

POSCO India, a Partner for PV Structure Manufacturers

POSCO is a steel supplier making headway into the Indian solar energy market with its innovative and sustainable products. In September, POSCO India took part in the 2017 Renewable Energy India Expo in Greater Noida.

POSCO’s Booth at the 2017 Renewable Energy India showcased PV structures made of PosMAC steel.

POSCO India Chairman and Managing Director Gee Woong Sung and other POSCO employees showcased POSCO’s solar (PV) structures, constructed from PosMAC steel (POSCO Magnesium Alloy Coating Product). “By the end of this year, we will complete the Indian solution marketing system, which will supply not only steel but also solar PV structures,” said Sung. “In 2018, we will further expand PosMAC sales in India.”

By the end of the event, POSCO signed memorandums of understanding with four major manufacturers of PV structures in India, and will be supplying 49,000 tons of PosMAC with a goal of increasing production to 60,000 tons by 2018.

Solar Electricity Solutions with PosMAC

PosMAC steel has great potential in India because it is ideal for solar panel application. It is ultra corrosion-resistant and cost-effective. Watch the video below to find about the technology behind PosMAC.

A typical PV unit lasts for about three decades, during which a failure of any part would lead to an early demise. PosMAC steel provides weather resistance and is also less expensive than other PV materials like stainless steel.

Despite its varying climate, India is a country with excellent conditions for capturing and using solar energy, with roughly 300 days of sunshine each year. Along with vibrant market conditions, heavy government backing as well as a large consumer base, India’s new and renewable energy industry is set for growth. As solar energy is the cheapest form of alternative fuel, solar PV unit manufacturers will have plenty of business opportunities in India’s growing market.  

Cover photo courtesy of l’Ener Geek.