Advancements in products, production methods, and new technologies have helped POSCO expand the expectations of what a sustainable steel company should be.  

In honor of Earth Day, The Steel Wire takes a look back at seven recent initiatives & breakthroughs from the last year that have helped POSCO become an industry leader in sustainable development.

POSCO GIGA STEEL: Lighter for EVs, Less Production Emissions

As the auto industry heads toward producing lighter, more fuel efficient vehicles, they need materials that are both strong and light. Car bodies manufactured with POSCO GIGA STEEL and other advanced high strength steels could see a 26% reduction in total weight. Also, based on its life cycle assessment measuring carbon dioxide emissions from production to recycling, POSCO GIGA STEEL performs remarkably well as an eco-friendly material. According to the World Steel Association, steel emits 2.0 to 2.5 kg of carbon emissions when producing 1 kg of material while aluminum emits 11 to 12.6 kg when producing the same amount.

See how POSCO GIGA STEEL offers an ideal material solution for automakers looking to make more lightweight and fuel efficient cars.

POSCO’s Smart Factory Introduces Artificial Intelligence

When POSCO introduced artificial intelligence into its smart factory operations in February, they were able to create higher quality products using a more sustainable production method. Coating weight control is a highly sophisticated process that keeps the coating layer consistent. Quality can deviate depending on the worker, but with POSCO’s new AI technology they can ensure quality control while reducing wasted zinc during production.

Read more about how POSCO is using AI and smart factory technology to make its operations more efficient and sustainable.

POSCO’s Advancements in Lithium Extraction Recharge the Battery Industry

Lithium extraction traditionally takes anywhere from 12-18 months using a slow evaporation technique. However, POSCO’s new extraction method, which came online in February of this year, takes from 8 hours up to one month while also offering a purity rate of 99.9% and increasing the lithium recovery rate to over 80%, which reduces the resources needed for extraction making the process more sustainable and eco-friendly. Also, in a first for the industry, POSCO developed a way to extract lithium from recycled batteries. Both of these innovations have helped create more eco-friendly processes for an industry that is expected to grow exponentially in coming years.

Find out more about POSCO’s developments in lithium extraction and its efforts to reshape the industry.

POSCO Expands Production of its Non-Oriented Silicon Steel for Electric Vehicle Drive Motors

Top-grade non-oriented silicon steel is a core ingredient in high-efficiency premium consumer electronics and electric vehicles. It is an environmentally-friendly material that saves energy and reduces CO2 emissions. With the completion of its non-oriented silicon steel (Hyper NO) facility on February 20, production has increased from 80,000 to 160,000 tons, which is enough to supply parts for approximately 2.6 million electric vehicle drive motors.

Read more about POSCO’s efforts secure its position as a leading supplier to the growing electric vehicle market.

POSCO Humans Selected as Innovation Leader for Sustainable Solar Power Development

POSCO Humans received excellent evaluations last January for its steel structures that were built for solar facility installations. In particular, POSCO Humans received high marks for its structure that are used exclusively for floating solar power generation facilities and exclusive bolts that utilize PosMAC. It is a bolt-assembled structure that eliminates the need for hole machining and special tools.

Discover how POSCO developed floating solar panels using PosMAC.

POSCO’s World Premium Stainless Steel Shows No Corrosion After 18 Years at Incheon Airport

The first passenger terminal at Incheon International Airport was built in 2001 using POSCO’s 446M steel, and after 18 years, few signs of corrosion have been seen. Building exteriors and roofs are the most visible parts of buildings, while also being the most vulnerable to corrosion. Materials used in their construction should be both corrosion-resistant and aesthetically pleasing. Therefore, when planning for the second terminal, they decided to use the same type of steel along with the application of the bead blast process that will create a rough texture on the roof to lower the reflectivity rate for aircraft pilots during take-offs and landings.

Find out how POSCO’s stainless steel products offer decorative and durable interior and exterior options in buildings.

PosMAC Shines at Renewable Energy India

PosMAC was recognized at the Renewable Energy India expo for its unique properties that make it uniquely suited for solar energy development. PosMAC is not just lightweight, it is also non-corrosive and durable enough to last 20-30 years.

Find out more about PosMAC at the Renewable Energy India expo, or find out more about PosMAC.

Throughout April & May, The Steel Wire will explore the uses and benefits of POSCO GIGA STEEL and what POSCO is doing to lead the industry with new automotive steel solutions.   Subscribe to our newsletter today.

This evaluation was designed to measure the current status of the sector and also to see where it is headed. LG Electronics, LS Industrial Systems and Hanwha Q CELLS were selected along with POSCO Humans.

A panoramic view of a floating solar power system installed with POSCO’s corrosion-resistant World Premium PosMAC Profile in Boryeong Dam by POSCO Humans.

POSCO Humans started its solar power business in 2013 with Korea Water Resources Corporation in order to provide a framing system for a floating solar power system. Currently, the company is carrying out projects in the structural and EPC sectors.

POSCO Humans received excellent evaluations for its steel structures that were built for solar facility installations, the use of PosMAC materials for solar power generation, and its eco-friendly floating solar power systems.

In particular, POSCO Humans received high marks for securing superior technology in its PosMAC profile – including a structure used exclusively for floating solar power generation facilities and exclusive bolts that utilize PosMAC. In particular, the PosMAC profile is a bolt-assembled structure that eliminates the need for hole machining and special tools. Therefore, the PosMAC profile garnered attention as a cost-saving product that can greatly cut back on installation time.

Based on this technology, POSCO Humans also conducted other energy-related projects including a floating solar power system at Boryeong Dam (2.0Mw) in South Chungcheong Province, a land solar power system (1.0Mw) in Shihwa Lake, a water purification plant in Siheung (0.4Mw), and a pumping station at Gwangmyeong for the Korea Water Resources Corporation (0.6Mw).

In the future, POSCO Humans will develop its solar EPC business into new next-generation business areas and plan to provide its customers with total solution services such as business feasibility studies, design, construction and post-construction operations.

*PosMAC: A highly corrosion-resistant alloy-coated steel sheet developed by POSCO’s proprietary technology which is more than 5 times stronger than conventional coated steel sheets in corrosion resistance and chemical resistance.

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Visiting Every Corner of Downtown on a Wheelchair 

Mr. You is a new employee of POSCO-Humans WithPlus. Although he has been working for POSCO for only 3 months, he is already very famous and is often interviewed by various mediums, including a TV station and a daily newspaper. Mr. You’s popularity is largely due to his volunteering work ‘Drawing Travel Map for the Disabled’ at the Miral Welfare Foundation. Let’s look into what his voluntary work is all about!

Since last year, volunteers from the Miral Welfare Foundation have been directly visiting Seoul’s key subway stations and attractions in an attempt to analyze accessibility of these places in the shoes and eyes of the disabled. Mr. You’s role within this project is to wheel around the city in a wheelchair and take a note of amenities and necessary information for the disabled. Then the collected information (e.g. subway station exits with an elevator, toilet designed for the disabled, commuting distance between the stations, etc.) is marked on the map to provide useful information to the disabled at a glance.

Out in the Street on Behalf of the Disabled

Mr. You is participating in the project once in every one or two months. It might not be easy for him to move around every corner of Seoul on a wheelchair. Despite the difficult condition, the motivation that drives him on the street, is his wish to complete a map that includes every little elements of inconvenience that only the disabled could experience.

When he is on the road for the map project, he scans the geographic features while strictly maintaining his view as the disabled. Therefore, he is able to include even the small details that non-disabled were easy to miss before. For instance, he found out with his own perspectives that an old sewer drain – shaped in a square figure – can dislocate the front wheels of a wheelchair.

Finding hope at the end of despair

Because of his benign mind, Mr. You appears to be a young man who has always been very bright and positive. However, he also had suffered from a severe depression after his sudden accident that caused the lower body paralysis. The fact that he needs to live the rest of his life on a wheelchair led him to a serious frustration. However, as he started to play wheelchair fencing, he became a different person. His passion grew further as he won several medals from the National Sports Games and finally revived his confidence to finish his undergraduate degree.

His Life at POSCO

Since last May, he has been in charge of POSCO Help account as an enthusiastic new member of the IT service group. In fact, he had applied for a number of companies upon his college graduation, but the job market was certainly not lenient for him because of his severe disability. In the midst of the job search, he happened to visit POSCO Humans booth in Seoul Job Fair for the disabled. After he completed the process of application and interviews, he was proudly accepted as a member of POSCO.

His Warm Heart Goes On 

The biggest support that lifted him to the society again was his peers at his wheel chair fencing center. “I was inspired by the peers who play wheelchair fencing because everyone was happily married and actively participating in their career despite their disabilities”, said Mr. You. As numerous people inspirited him, he expressed his desire to share the same love and support for others now.

“Although I have to try a little harder than most of the people but I believe that nothing is impossible. I will continue to work harder on my wheelchair so that I can be more helpful to others!”

Despite having a handicapped body himself, Mr. You has been leading by example to create a map for those who are more in need of help. If you support Mr. You’s warm-heartedness and selfless contributions, why don’t we give a big round of applause?