Steel is everywhere, indeed. We don’t even have to go treasure-hunting to find where it is, but where do we run into it exactly, one might wonder. Let’s explore, from the moment we wake up in the morning until the light goes off before we sleep — with POSCO Newsroom.

With the new mattress, I’ve been getting quality sleep. The mattress innerspring is so firm and stable and I could sleep like a baby. Quality mattress brings quality sleep. Every part of my body is truly feeling the impact of the new comfortable mattress.

The first thing I do when I wake up every morning is to turn off my smartphone alarm. It’s almost a reflex. I make myself a quick breakfast smoothie — with fresh milk and fruits from the refrigerator, washing the fruits in the sink, then tossing them into a blender. Thanks to these kitchen appliances — easy-to-use, efficient and hygienic — my morning is hassle-free. Drinking the morning smoothie, I read the news on my tablet PC.

To get dressed, I take out my work clothes from a steel wardrobe. The news alert from my tablet PC tells me it’s going to be quite brisk today, so I take out my autumn coat from the hanger. After putting on my watch, I get bundled up, zipping up my jacket all the way. Then, I head out for work.

Today will be another hectic day with the new project our department just acquired. I’m already pumped up with anticipation. I arrive at the office building and enter. Lots of people are waiting in front of the elevator. Some people take the escalator instead.

A few conference rooms are already occupied with those having early business meetings. Looking at the office furniture, I think it’s great that more companies take great care in office ergonomics and interiors. Environment and efficiency are also big factors these days, I hear, which is great. Everywhere I go, I notice this new trend.

Inside the building that embraces all these facilities, people, and their energy, made me feel as though the building itself had a life of its own — very much alive and breathing.

I walk into my office. There are so many things I need for work these days. A date-planner used to be pretty much what I needed, but tablet PCs and smartphones are becoming indispensable for checking emails and reviewing important files, images, or presentation. That doesn’t mean the paper is useless, of course. Paper is still very much part of my work routine, and I need a stapler, clips, and pens nearby. My glasses which I need to protect my eyesight, are on my desk at all times.

Heading out into the road after work, the rush-hour traffic is already quite heavy. In a busy city like Seoul, the best way to navigate around the city is the bicycle, which is my main mode of transportation. Though, sometimes I use electric scooters because it’s perfect for zigzagging around every little corner of the city. Today, I am heading to the Han River with my bicycle, and I only have to hit three more traffic lights to get there.

During the autumn, the sun goes down pretty early. Even if it’s a bit dark, I do want to spend more time outdoors as much as possible, before winter is here. I take a moment to check out the night scenery across the river. Lots of buildings still have lights on. Trains pass over the bridges to the other side of the river. Underneath the bridge, a cruise ship passes by. Soon, I will have to head home and prepare for the next day.

How was your day today? What did you see? Did you get to appreciate the small but beautiful things that surround us all? Sometimes the most precious stay hidden, invisible — like steel. It’s around us everywhere to help us live our day to the fullest. Whether we realize it or not, it’s with us. Always.

– Finding the Hidden POSCO! –

Discover POSCO’s Heartbeat!

① Saving the Waters with ‘POSCO Volunteers for Clean Oceans’

Launched in 2009, POSCO Volunteers for Clean Ocean started with a group of passionate scuba divers who are POSCO employees. Since then, they have been volunteering to collect various ocean wastes and starfish from Pohang, and Gwangyang where POSCO steelworks are located. POSCO Volunteers’ cleaning activities also extended to other areas like Incheon, Gangneung and Ulleungdo.
They’ve collected 1,650 tons of marine debris through over 540 underwater clean-up activities. Their volunteering is not just saving the oceans but also helping improve the livelihood of local fishermen.

With #SteelSaveEarth campaign this year, POSCO is channeling its effort on collecting plastic wastes from the ocean. The work of POSCO Volunteers for Clean Oceans will continue to protect Korea’s water resources and marine ecosystem.

② Never-Ending Community Service ‘With POSCO’

The employees of Pohang Steelworks continue practicing the spirit of community service through donating their talents. POSCO’s talent volunteer group participates in regular weekend volunteer activities to spread the company’s ‘With POSCO’ principle that seeks mutual growth. Recently, mural painting volunteers created color murals near the Pohang canals where many tourists visit. Various other POSCO volunteers also participated in senior care, especially those living alone, replacing old wallpaper, floorboards, and lighting to help improve their living conditions. POSCO employees are regularly donating their time and talents as a way to express their gratitude toward the community. Altogether 10 volunteer groups are active in the region, participating in such activities as mural painting, reforms, electric repairs, senior care, technical volunteering, tutoring, and ocean clean-ups.

③ ‘STEEL HOUSE’, the POSCO Exclusive

POSCO STEEL HOUSE is designed to protect people and their properties from disasters like earthquake, typhoons, and fires, by applying stronger and more durable techniques than any other construction methods. STEEL HOUSE is a residential structure using internal and external steel with a thickness of 1mm. Strong enough to withstand earthquakes and yet, it has a short construction period. With thin walls, STEEL HOUSE can create a spacious living space, making it an economical choice for both constructors and residents. Because it uses a dry construction method, not only can it be built quickly, it can also be constructed at any time of the year.

Since 2009, POSCO has been collaborating with the National Fire Agency of Korea to support fire-stricken communities. POSCO employees, firefighters, and POSCO’s youth volunteer group Beyonders regularly roll up their sleeves to build steel houses and provide safe living spaces for the fire victims across the country.

④ POSCO Creates Sea Forests and Restores Marine Ecosystems

A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem. Reefs are formed of colonies of polyps held together by calcium carbonate providing a home for many precious marine species. What if POSCO could create this coral reef? It sounds slightly unbecoming perhaps, but there are actually good reasons backing this unusual idea. Triton, an artificial reef developed by POSCO, is made of slag, a steelmaking by-product. Slag has high mineral content such as calcium and iron, which are useful for marine ecosystems than general aggregates. Not only can the Triton help grow algae, but it can also promote photosynthesis purifying contaminated sediments and water. Also, Triton reef can withstand typhoons and tsunamis due to its high gravity and strength. It also reduces CO₂ through carbonation and algae photosynthesis. The World Conservation Congress and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development recognized the positive contribution POSCO’s Triton is making towards the marine ecosystem and announced it as one of the best practices. In 2018, POSCO used 1,418 tritons and 12,200 underwater rocks to help expand clean spaces for the marine ecosystem.

⑤ POSCO Steel Gives Rise to Rice!

Produced during the ironmaking process in the blast furnace, slag contains various impurities other than iron. POSCO’s slag is 100% recycled as either fertilizer or cement. Quality furnace slag is rich in silicic acid, an important ingredient to ensure a large rice harvest. Last year, about 390,000 tons of POSCO slag was used as agricultural fertilizer. Slag fertilizer not only increases the crop yield, but it also improves the taste of rice. Slag is not just a recyclable steel byproduct — as an excellent fertilizer, it is also a tremendous source of joy for farming communities.

⑥ Eco-friendly High Performance POSMENT

In addition to fertilizers, furnace slag also transforms into cement! POSCO developed the eco-friendly POSMENT back in 2012 after 10 years of persistent R&D effort to recycle slag. Instead of limestone, POSMENT mixes slag into general cement for added strength. Compared to conventional cement, POSMENT can reduce up to 60% of greenhouse gas emissions. In 2018, 10.69 million tons of POSCO slag were used as cement helping reduce 8.39 million tons of net greenhouse gases.

⑦ Pohang’s Cultural Hub, POSCO’s Hyoja Art Hall

Since its opening in 1980, Hyoja Art Hall has been providing free performances and concerts for POSCO employees and Pohang residents. The performance facilities and safety management have seen a steady improvement, but POSCO invested in a full remodeling of the space last year to further improve the audience’s experiences. In 2006, Hyoja Art Hall was selected as an excellent performance facility and has been at the forefront of implementing “With POSCO” vision through free performances for the residents, and free rentals to help develop local talents.

If Hyoja Art Hall is the cultural hub of Pohang, what about Gwangyang? Opened in 1992, Gwangyang’s Baegun Art Hall holds 990 seats and is a cultural hub of Gwangyang, Like Hyoja, Baegun has been presenting various cultural events including classical music concerts, musicals, plays and films for POSCO employees and the local population, free of charge.

⑧ Pohang International Fireworks Festival — With POSCO!

On the first night of June this year, Pohang’s night sky was laced with vibrant colors. Established in 2004, the Pohang International Fireworks Festival celebrates its 16th event this year. In the conception stage of the Festival, POSCO focused on two themes: ‘light’ which the city of Pohang signifies and ‘fire,’ strong imagery of the blast furnace at Pohang Steelworks. Since then, the event grew to become global-scale and the themes of the Festival are much more diverse than simple flame imageries. Regarded as one of the top summer festivals in Korea, Pohang International Fireworks is now attended by over 2,000 visitors and features not only spectacular fireworks but also various street performances, culture exchange programs as well as movie screenings.

Though it might seem invisible, POSCO is indeed breathing all around us. And we’re not just talking about its products and technologies. As a corporate citizen, POSCO’s constantly reaching out to spread its community spirits. Perhaps, the most essential is invisible to the eyes but can be felt only with the heart. Beyond hardware, POSCO’s creating many pieces of ‘heartware’ across every corner of our communities. Listen. POSCO’s heart is beating strong — here and now.

– Finding the Hidden POSCO!-

Let the POSCO technology treasure hunt begin. Now.

① Higher and Safer with POSCO: HSA, Pos-H, PosMAC

Safe construction of skyscrapers – buildings of 50 floors (200 meters) and up – requires specialized construction technologies. Exponential population growth hence the lack of available lands necessitated more living and working spaces. The demand for skyscrapers is skyrocketing. The building materials must withstand the heavyweight. Not only do we need new technologies that endure added weights, but they should also be prepared for natural disasters like earthquakes and typhoons. POSCO is working on material development and structural systems for higher and safer buildings. POSCO’s signature steel, ‘High-Performance Steel for Architecture’ (HSA), is 1.7 times stronger and 30% lighter than conventional structural materials making them ideal for high-rise buildings. It’s also a seismic reinforcement material that effectively mitigates vibrations transferred to the building in the event of an earthquake. Seoul’s tallest skyscraper Lotte World Tower, Busan LCT, and the Incheon International Airport Terminal 2, and Dongdaegu Station were built with POSCO’s HSA.

POSCO’s other premium construction steel is Pos-H. It’s an exclusive Word Top Premium (WTP) H beam fabricated of POSCO steel plates under POSCO’s strict quality system. Composed of more than 440 available members, Pos-H can be standardized and optimized — compared to conventional rolled H-Beam, it’s cost-efficient needing 15 to 20% less steel for a given component. Pos-H ensures optimum price, delivery, and quality as per customer demands.

The PosMAC-Steel Curtain Wall blocks the external atmosphere without bearing load applied to the building. Consisting of glass and panels attached to steel frames, steel curtain wall provides a highly premium atheistic look. Its high structural performance and good weldability allow the steel to achieve a wide range of designs. A steel curtain wall can be installed for 12 meters and up without reinforcement and can achieve the slimmer design than aluminum. Furthermore, welding PosMAC-Steel Curtain Wall utilizing 3D-Modeling information enables unique design. Compared to aluminum, it provides better performance in terms of structure, heat insulation, flame resistance, anti-seismic capability, and soundproofing.

② Eco-Friendly and Vibrant ‘Solar Pine’ — With POSCO

Solar Pine is an eco-friendly solar structure that combines POSCO WTP steel with smart IoT technology. This structure is a sunlight generation sculpture developed by POSCO with its name driving from the geometric pattern and form of a pine cone. POSCO’s technical expertise in Solar Pine isn’t confined to the company’s steel materials — it expands to manufacturing processes such as exterior design and processing. Equipped with 48 solar modules, the circular structure of 5.5 meters in diameter can generate 1kW of power. The upper solar roof creates a geometric shadow pattern during the day. Simultaneously, it also accumulates power through solar power generation, which can be used to charge mobile devices day and night. During winter, it even serves as a warm bench for pedestrians. Solar Pine offers various convenience features such as public Wi-Fi and Bluetooth speakers. Solar Pine can be found at the Seoul Energy Dream Center in Seoul, and POSCO Energy Green Park in Incheon.

③ Think Environment, Think Health with Stainless Travel Mugs and Straws

Outside and thirsty during hot summer? Stainless is the way to go. Environment concerns surrounding disposable plastic cups and straws are drawing attention to alternative materials like stainless steel travel mugs and straws. Not only are they environmentally sustainable, but they also have other features. Notably hygienic, stainless steel is odor-resistant and prevents bacterial growth. Also, with stainless steel, discoloration is rare. Since travel mugs are in constant contact with liquids, they should be rust-free and hygienic. Stainless steel is one of the best materials that meet those requirements.

On average, a plastic straw is used for about 20 minutes but takes 500 years to decompose. Every day, each person uses 1.6 straws. Plastic straws need an urgent replacement. Across the globe, stainless steel is rapidly becoming the go-to material to replace plastics. Unlike plastic straws, stainless steel straws are clean, harm-free, and can be reused over and over.

④ POSCO Steel Plate Sustains Long Distance — 18.38km

Ultra-long bridges have over a one-kilometer distance between pylons.

In Incheon Bridge, more than 50,000 tons of POSCO steel were used — including 24,000 tons of high value-added thick plates by POSCO and 3,000 tons of bridge railing steel, also developed by POSCO. The required amount of TMCP (Thermo-Mechanically Controlled Processed), structural steel for bridges, is 3,000 tons. TMCP steel is a high-quality thick plate with excellent weldability. Including TMCP steel, POSCO’s high value-added thick plates were mainly used for cable-stayed Incheon Bridge. The connectivity bridges of the Bridge are being constructed as concrete bridges for which POSCO’s general steels, including PC stranded wire, were used.

Meanwhile, the cable, one of the most important components in the ultra-long bridges, supports the bridge by transferring the weight to the top plate to the pylon. POSCO currently produces POSCO wire for Cable, PosCable. POSCO’s steel cable is also applied to ‘hanger,’ a part that connects the cable to the top plate. This particular steel wire is produced by twisting multiple strands of the POSCO wire rod. Extremely sturdy and yet, one steel strand can withstand the weight of a 4.5-ton truck of. Being rust-free, PosCable is perfect for the bridge, which is being built over the ocean, keeping the bridge safe and strong for a long time.

⑤ POSCO Steel in the Incheon Airport

Opened last year, the Terminal 2 of Incheon Airport features ‘Art Port,’ a variety of complex cultural spaces. Known for its excellent architectural aesthetics and comfortable facilities, Terminal 2 also features POSCO’s steel products. The roof panel of the passenger terminal contains POSCO’s WTP stainless steel grade 446M. POSCO’s 446 M stainless steel features maximum corrosion resistance against the airport’s coastal climate utilizing the material’s low thermal expansion — characteristics of the 400 series. POSCO specialty steels were applied to the roof and building exterior materials in offshore or factory areas. For the roof area, the weight of the roof was reduced by applying the POSCO Space System, a joint node technology — one of POSCO’s solution technologies applied to the large-space shell structure. In the main ticketing area, there are large tree-shaped pillars which used HSA800 steel, a for ultra-high-strength structure material. HSA800 helped minimize the column sizes, creating a vast openness in the space. HSA800 can greatly reduce the amount of steel used in large spaces or high-rise constructions.

⑥ Hyperloop, Future Mega Trend for Mega City

Hyperloop is drawing attention as a new means of transportation and future megatrend. Hyperloop refers to a train-type transportation system that can run as fast as 1,280 km per hour with close to zero resistance to the vehicle. For the train tube, hyperloop uses POSCO’s high-performance steel, a spiral steel pipe with a diameter of four meters with a thickness of 20-30mm. The material applies specialized high-performance hot rolling, which maintains vacuum in the tubes and propels the vehicle for high-speed operation.

For the hyperloop to work, it must first be connected to an almost vacuum-like low-pressure (0.001 atm) tube — from departure to destination. The vehicle must be supported by an electromagnetic motor while maintaining the vacuum in the tube. Propulsion is achieved by sending air back to the pressurizer. Pressurized air uses air bearings to minimize friction, and solar energy increases efficiency. With Hyperloop, the 400-km travel between Seoul and Busan is expected to take about 20 minutes.

Through the episodes of #1 through #3 of [Find the Hidden POSCO], we discovered the presence of POSCO’s steel and technologies which can be spotted everywhere around us. What new technologies will be added to the current list, and how will they transform our lives? POSCO Newsroom will continue following this journey every step of the way.

– Finding the Hidden POSCO! –

Inside the house, here we go.

① PosMarble Takes on Design, Function, Environment, and Costs

Marble brings stylish luxury to house interiors. POSCO’s brand-new PosMarble adds to the marble luxury in terms of design and functionality. PosMarble is a perfect marriage between the rust-free PosMAC and inkjet marble printing whose resolution far exceeding that of ordinary printing. Because of this, PosMarble can emulate the luxurious patterns and textures of top quality marbles, both natural and artificial. Not only that, it’s half the cost of natural marbles and more eco-friendly.

The recent discovery of formaldehyde and radon in synthetic and natural marble created a huge controversy in the market. Amid the controversy, PosMarble is being welcomed as a new and safe alternative.

② Emergency Safety with Stainless Steel Guard Rail

During non-emergency situations, fire exit stairs outside high-rise buildings serve as railings, preventing falls. During a fire emergency, the rail unfolds and provides direct exit routes for people. The railing at Mr. P’s apartment is made of POSCO’s high-strength stainless steel pipe. Rust-free and sturdy against big external impact, the material ensures safety — both in case of emergency and non-emergency.

③ A Quiet Comfort with POSCO floors

In apartment living, the noise transfer between floors can cause high anxieties for the occupants. Worried about the noises? Think no further, POSCO’s PosCOZY has the solution.

PosCOZY, the world’s first high manganese steel plate designed to reduce noises between floors, is a noise-proof floor system created by combining galvanized steel plates with high manganese clip whose vibration resistance is four times that of normal steel.

PosCOZY is the first steel floor material that received a certificate from Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology — a grade 1 certification given to the materials that minimize impact noises on the floor.

PosCOZY reduces heavyweight floor impact noises by over 10 dB and lightweight floor impact noises by over 20 dB. Even if children upstairs play soccer at home, the downstairs occupants won’t be able to hear a thing — as quiet as a library. Applying PosCOZY to older buildings, 15 years or older, with thin floors can significantly reduce noises — boosting the acoustic performance to the legal minimum level of grade 4. PosCOZY might just be the best solution for those who want to soundproof their floors.

④ The ‘Total Smart Home’ with POSCO E&C — the AiQ TECH

After a long hard cold winter day, imagine stepping into the empty apartment. Inside, what you find is the room toasty and cozy with just the right temperature and warm bright light — not a cold dark room. Not only that, the laundry you didn’t quite finish in the morning is now all done. What about the floors? It’s squeaky clean.

Thanks to ‘Total Smart Home’ with IoT platform, we are now living in a world where all this is a reality, not a fantasy. POSCO E&C recently launched “AiQ TECH,” Korea’s first smart home technology. AiQ TECH is a self-learning smart technology with emotional intelligence to serve customers. After undergoing a long R&D and prototypes after prototypes, POSCO E&C successfully developed the AiQ TECH with the three key functions that best suit market needs: AiQ Convenience, AiQ Safety, and AiQ Health.

The AiQ Convenience uses voice commands and mobile messengers to control lighting, heating, and ventilation. It also alerts elevator arrivals and traffic conditions best suited to the lifestyle of each individual. The AiQ Safety auto-detects any malfunctions in the elevator alerting the building management personnel on duty. It also allows live-monitoring of CCTVs within the apartment complex through smartphone apps. Lastly, the AiQ Health analyzes the air quality and triggers the ventilation system when needed.

⑤Steel Home Appliances with POSCO

The increasing popularity of smart home appliances is also diversifying the designs of the appliances away from the monotonous coloring — mostly in white tones. As of late, vibrant colors, geometric patterns, and metallic texture are gaining popularity for interior designs. Steel plates from POSCO — cold-rolled steel, galvanized steel, and electro-galvanized — are especially worth noting. They are corrosion-resistant and allow generous freedom for surface treatment. POSCO steel plates allow very little power loss. That’s why everyday household appliances using POSCO materials — refrigerators, microwave ovens, and ovens — have high energy efficiency.

⑥ Stainless Kitchen Thinks Clean

When cooking, good cooking utensils are just as important as good ingredients. Stainless steel, found in various pots and pans as well as in storage containers, is one of the widely used materials in the kitchen. Among different grades of stainless steel, austenitic steel is the most widely used grade of stainless steel. It contains chromium and nickel components and is known for its formability and corrosion resistance. Austenitic steel is mainly used in kitchen appliances, building materials, and chemical facilities.

Heat transfer through stainless steel is not as superb as with aluminum. To overcome this shortcoming, POSCO developed clad steel by bonding stainless steel to aluminum. Clad steel has already made a name for itself as the top kitchenware material. Clad steel is made by rolling on stainless steel to the front and the back of aluminum plates. With triple layers, clade steel enhances the thermal conductivity, heat conservation, and efficiency of stainless steel. Furthermore, its resistance to acid and alkali makes clad steel not only eco-friendly but also harmless to humans.

⑦ Safe and Clean with Stainless Steel Water Pipes

The recent bout of rusty tap water in the Seoul Metropolitan area heightened safety concerns on drinking water. With stainless steel water pipes, however, you can rest assured that your drinking water will stay clean and toxic-free.

No matter how heat-resistant, plastic pipes can’t guarantee hygiene and safety 100%. Constant contact with hot water will inevitably cause deformation inside the pipes. Compared to plastics, however, stainless steel is incredibly durable — it’s clean, keeping its original shapes much better than plastics. No wonder why stainless steel is increasingly becoming the go-to material for food containers.

Through the episode #2 of ‘Find the Hidden POSCO,’ we spotted POSCO technologies found inside the house. Giant chunks of steel have transformed themselves into various products of all shapes doing the jobs that they were born to do. Stay tuned for the next episode of [Find the Hidden POSCO] where we will explore various spots of our city to discover more POSCO technologies.

– Finding the Hidden POSCO! –

Let’s begin!

① GIGA STEEL — Stronger, Lighter and Better for the Environment

POSCO developed GIGA STEEL, stronger and lighter than competing materials like aluminum and carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP). Withstanding over 100 kg on 1mm2 space, GIGA STEEL builds stronger car bodies, suspension and battery packs making electric vehicles (EVs) safer for the public. Three times stronger and yet 3 times thinner than aluminum, it vastly lightweights car bodies.

With such strength, the GIGA STEEL effectively absorbs and disperses shocks in the event of an accident. It minimizes the shock impact thereby protecting the passengers as well as the batteries. Lighter but sturdier cars were made possible through POSCO’s GIGA STEEL.

GIGA STEEL is also eco-friendly as it helps protect the environment by reducing the cumulative CO2 emissions of cars by about 10%.

② Steel in the Tires! POSCO’s WTP Tire Cord Steel

Though invisible, steel is what makes car tires more durable. POSCO’s WTP (World Top Premium) tire cord steel is hidden in tire chords one of the many essential tire components. POSCO’s WTP refers to a line of products that enhance clients’ competitiveness with its high technology. POSCO’s WTP steel wire for tire cords are highly regarded – it improves stability and while minimizing the tire weight.

And it’s produced by twisting high carbon steel wire rod into a fine wire of 0.4 to 1.15mm in diameter. To withstand various dynamic loads on the vehicle, the tire cord steel undergoes rigorous quality control.

③ For Drive Motors, the World-class Electric Steel Hyper No

A motor is a key component of EVs. It boosts fuel efficiency and the performance of EVs. The function of drive motors in EV is that of an engine in gas vehicles – it allows the driveshaft to rotate via electric current. Highly efficient drive motors must be equipped with electrical steel plates with minimal power loss. POSCO has developed just that – the world-class electric steel plate, Hyper NO. Hyper No is used on high-efficiency motors.

When converting electricity into rotating energy, energy loss is inevitable. POSCO’s Hyper NO effectively minimizes the energy loss, thereby increasing energy efficiency – by over 30% than conventional products. To maximize motor efficiency, POSCO increased the magnetic flux density and successfully minimized energy loss. Thanks to POSCO’s Hyer No, an ultra-thin electric panel, as thin as 0.15mm, with minimum energy loss became a reality.

The ‘self-bonding’ technology POSCO developed recently applies coatings to the surface of electric steel plates, whose function is similar to that of glue. Unlike welding, POSO’s self-bonding technology retains the innate electromagnet characteristics of electric steel plates, which also connects to the improved motor efficiency. The self-bonding reduces energy loss by over 10 % compared to the conventional welding technique.

④ Secondary Battery Materials – from POSCO CHEMICAL!

Unlike disposable primary batteries, secondary batteries can be recharged and reused repeatedly. Lithium-ion battery, an essential component of EVs, is a type of second batteries. Besides EVs, it is a popular choice for many consumer electronics such as portable devices and laptops. It’s also widely used for industrial robots and power tools that require high capacity and power.

A secondary battery consists of cathode materials that determine the average voltage and capacity of a battery, and anode materials which induce current flow by storing then releasing lithium-iron from the cathode, via external circuits.

POSCO CHEMICAL, POSCO Group’s up-and-coming-global enterprise, produces key materials for secondary batteries – cathode and anode materials. The newly established POSCO CHEMICAL is the result of the merger back in April – between POSCO ESM, top-quality cathode producing enterprise, and POSCO CHEMTECH, Korea’s only natural graphite anode producer. As a result of their merge, POSCO CHEMTECH is expected to bring synergies between anode and cathode production. Large-scale early investments in production facilities are currently underway.

⑤ Battery Charge Stations? POSCO ICT Is on It

The biggest concern for the early adopters of EVs is the business of charging the EVs. Making the charge as easy as possible is the key part of the solution.

That’s where POSCO ICT comes in. POSCO ICT established ‘ChargEV,’ a charging infrastructure for EVs. ChargEV provides comprehensive services related to charging EVs, which includes charge stations, control systems, charging membership as well as car-sharing services. Considering accessibility and charging time, POSCO ICT has already established public charging networks at major hubs across Korea – Lotte Mart, E-Mart, Homeplus, and LG Electronics’ BEST SHOP, etc.

⑥ Safe Power Supply, With POSCO ENERGY

Providing power for EVs is also POSCO Group’s utmost priority. Since launching the energy business in 1969, POSCO ENERGY has steadily supplied power to the Seoul Metropolitan area for over 50 years. Through expanded businesses such as the LNG combined-cycle power plant in Incheon, the company went from being Korea’s first private power plant to Korea’s largest.

As it turns out, the world’s top steelmaker POSCO was also a key player in producing core EV materials. The next installation of [Find the Hidden POSCO] will explore POSCO technologies that can be found inside our homes.