POSCO recently completed STEP development, and applied it to the hull of Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries’ ships. STEP is a thick plate product with varying thicknesses that form a gentle slope on a single steel plate. Applying STEP will enable shipbuilders to skip the welding process, reducing labor costs and delivery time. POSCO is the only domestic steel maker to have developed the technology on its own.

Employees of the two companies are standing in front of the hull that was assembled using STEP.

In shipbuilding yards, the thickness of thick plates varies depending on the amount of pressure applied during construction. As the welding of thick plates of different thicknesses involves excessive man-hours, back-end processing is occasionally delayed. In order to help its partner overcome such difficulties, POSCO began to develop the technology for STEP in 2015 in collaboration with Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries. They acquired a classification certification last March for the technology and successfully applied it to an actual shop after several field application tests.

STEP is also expected to benefit domestic shipbuilders currently suffering from the recent global recession of the shipbuilding industry, by helping them reduce costs and increase productivity. Shipowners will also benefit from the improved quality and shortened inspection time.

VP Sang-gyun Lee of Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries explains the development progress of the hull block at the ceremony held to celebrate the first application of STEP.

Officials from Hyundai Samho conveyed to POSCO the difficulties they had on the shop floor over the years before applying STEP, and said, “The use of STEP is expected to secure working space, reduce bottlenecks and welding man-hours, and thus save costs by more than KRW 60 million per ship.”

POSCO is planning to mass-produce STEP starting next year, and expand its application to other industries, such as bridges.

Don’t miss any of the exciting stories from The Steel Wire – subscribe via email today.

Why is the Shipbuilding Industry Behind in Technology?

The advent of container ships dates back to 1956. About a decade later in the 1970s, there was a boom in demand for container ships along with the industrial revolution. Then, demand boomed again during the dot-com bubble. The bubble burst in 2001, and the world faced yet another recession in 2008. From this slowdown in overall trade and economic activity, the world now has an oversupply of container ships, and economists project it will last up to 2025.

The Ideal X leaving Newark, New Jersey in 1956 (Source: Wired)

This is bad news for the shipbuilding industry as well as their supplies. In fact, during the first half of 2016,  a reported 20,000 people from the shipbuilding industry lost their jobs in Korea, the third largest shipbuilder in the world. Steel suppliers were also hit hard with China’s oversupply of steel crowding out the market.

Not All Signs Point South

First of all, the global export to GDP ratio is projected to increase from 30 percent in 2015 to 33 percent in 2035. According to the World Trade Organization (WTO), in 2017, there has been an estimated 2.4 percent growth in the overall volume of trade, and an additional 2 to 4 percent projected for 2018. Export orders and container shipping have increased in 2017 as well. With 90 percent of the world’s trade goods transported via ships, things are looking up for the stagnant shipbuilding industry.

Another piece of good news for the shipbuilding industry and environmentalists came at the end of 2016 when the International Maritime Organization (IMO) announced the new global cap on the amount of sulfur for marine fuels at 0.5 percent by 2020. With full compliance, it will result in an 85 percent decrease in global S02 emissions.

The IMO announce the 2020 emissions cap (Source: Interfax Energy)

The outlook of global trade and the new IMO emissions cap will mean new business for shipbuilders as well as their suppliers. Operators working with ships and fuel that meet current emissions requirements will have to either modify their vessels, opt for low-sulfur fuel or turn to alternative solutions such as Liquified Natural Gas (LNG).

Scrubber Solutions  

Remember the overproduction problem mentioned earlier? Not every company has the financial resources to build brand new, eco-friendly ships or switch to low-sulfur fuel. At the moment, low-sulfur fuel is about 50 percent more expensive than low-grade bunker fuel. Nearing 2020, those prices are projected to increase a lot, due to skyrocketing demand.

An alternative way for ship owners to meet the IMO emissions cap by 2020 is installing scrubbers. Scrubbers are exhaust gas treatment plants that use water to clean the gas exhaust produced by ships before it is expelled into the air. They typically require 1 to 2 percent of total main engine power to operate and cost an estimated USD 5 million to install.   

A scrubber for a HFO-fueled ship (Source: Wartsila)

UBS Limited reported that about 19 percent of ship owners will embrace scrubbers as solutions while about 74 percent will turn to low-sulfur fuels.

Already, companies are jumping aboard. Technology company Wärtsilä will install their scrubber system to two 56,000 DWT Handymax bulk carriers for NYK Bulk & Projects Carriers Ltd. in Japan. The vessels are scheduled to be completed by 2018 and 2019, and will meet the new IMO sulfur emissions cap. Dutch company Spliethoff will also install scrubbers on six of their multipurpose vessels to be built in 2019 and continue burning HFO.

A Zero-S02 Emission Solution

Many of the carriers in operation today can run on several different types of fuel, including LNG. Even among concerns about the lack of facilities accompanying LNG, it is favored by suppliers, manufactures and environmentalists alike. Burning LNG emits zero S02 and particulate matter, and up to 25 percent less C02 and up to 90 percent less nitrogen oxides (N0x).

An LNG carrier heading to Brazil (Source: LNG World News)

An increasing number of companies are investing in the LNG solution.

Energy company Shell acquired LNG producer BG Group in 2016 for USD 50 billion; Volkswagen will employ two LNG carriers to ship their products between Europe and North America; and as of August 2017, three new shipbuilders joined SEA/LNG, a non-profit coalition that advocates the use of LNG for ships. Mitsui, Novatek and Sumitomo are the latest of the 29 members.

Although LNG is by far the most environmentally friendly solution for the shipping industry, it requires more space and adds weight to a vessel, using up more fuel. Shipbuilders need thinner and lighter material solutions to cope with this issue.

Eco-Friendly Material Solutions

All of this is why Hyundai Mipo Dockyard chose to build the world’s largest LNG-powered bulk carrier using POSCO’s High Manganese Steel. The vessel will yield up to 50,000 tons of cargo, seven times more than existing LNG carriers. The high manganese component allows the LNG to be kept at the freezing temperatures of -162℃. It out performs other traditional materials in strength, toughness and cost effectiveness. The carrier will be in operation in Korea beginning in 2018.

Workers building a ship at Hyundai’s shipyard (Source: AQT Solutions)

POSCO also supplies stainless steel for Korea Gas Corporation’s membrane-type LNG carriers starting from 2016 and is the world’s only supplier of stainless steel for membrane material.

The projected overall increase of worldwide trade and new environmental regulations will place a financial burden on ship owners. However, it is an opportunity to generate business in different sectors of the shipbuilding industry such as in parts manufacturing, energy and steel supplies. Such parties need to continue to find solutions to modernize vessels and comply with global standards to meet the demands of world trade in the very near future.   

Don’t miss any of the exciting stories from The Steel Wire – subscribe via email today.

Read how these megatrends and the expansion of the four largest steel-consuming industries have driven the growth of the steel industry from the last fifty years and will continue to play a crucial role.

Megatrends and their impact on the steel industry

Future Cities and Changes in Steel Materials

Urbanization is a key driver in the development of the global construction industry and will further accelerate in the future with rapid industrialization in developing countries and the shift to a knowledge economy in advanced countries.

Within the overall shift toward urbanization, many countries are actively crafting policies to develop their cities as globally competitive megacities. There is an increasing number of megacities with over 10 million inhabitants as the competition paradigm shifts from competition among countries to competition among cities.

Also, with a growing sense of urgency in improving the environment in terms of ozone depletion, climate change and energy and resource exhaustion, eco-friendly, green cities are emerging as a new trend.

Lastly, smart cities, characterized by digital transformation and energy revolution, will rapidly expand in the future drawing on the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Following the ongoing and emerging trends of urbanization and future cities, new advanced steel materials are required to accompany emerging trends and accelerate the development of megatall, eco-friendly and smart products. Conventional steel materials for construction, such as steel bar and section, will improve in functionality with higher strength, thermal conductivity and better sound isolation. They will also be developed as composite materials and new materials such as carbon nanotubes and shape memory alloys will be widely deployed in construction processes. However, as construction costs (labor costs and the use of high-strength steel materials, for example), increase, steel content per unit of construction investment is expected to decline.

A New Mobility Paradigm

Led by high-income earners, lower car prices and improved road infrastructure, the key trend for the automotive industry is motorization. Today, automobiles are no longer just a means of transportation but becoming a major arena for IT competition with the rise of electric vehicles, robotic vehicles and new mobility services.

As a response to global warming, electric vehicles and energy-efficient self-driving cars are becoming increasingly widespread along with the rise of new innovative mobility services, such as robo-taxis and self-driving mini-buses.

In the case of EVs, less auto parts will be required as metal parts such as powertrain components – the engine, vehicle intake and exhaust system, and transmission – will be replaced by batteries, motors, and electronic parts. As cars are made lighter to improve driving range, alternative materials such as aluminum and CFRP are being used in some luxury lineups.

In order to retain its competitiveness and also meet increasingly strict environmental regulations, the steel industry is developing lighter and stronger steel materials such as advanced high-strength steel (AHSS) to replace traditional steel products. Steel, a strong and economically competitive material, remains an attractive choice for both EVs and self-driving cars.

Recovery of the Shipbuilding Industry

Technological advancement as a result of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and changing environmental regulations will bring considerable changes to the shipbuilding industry.

The shipbuilding industry, which boomed in the 2000’s, experienced a downturn after the 2008-09 financial crisis. Although the oversupply will linger until 2025, the shipbuilding market will then turn to an upswing with increasing growing global trade and rising demand for ship replacement.

With the development of ultra-large container ships, LNG-fueled ships, electric ships, CO₂ carriers, polar ships, and environmentally–friendly equipment, high-strength steel for ultra-large and lighter ships and high-strength low-alloy steel for safe and affordable LNG and CO₂ storage tanks are required.

As vessels become larger and lighter, the steel intensity of ship’s tonnage will fall. Steel intensity is expected to decline due to larger and lighter vessels.

Global Climate Action and Energy Transition

As a response to global warming, renewable energy is increasingly in demand. In fact, it is no longer being referred to as “alternative” energy but “mainstream”. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has predicted that the share of renewables within global power generation is expected to rise from 23 percent in 2014 to 37 percent by 2040.

The renewable energy sector is also adopting various types of steel products. The tube tower, which accounts for 65% of the weight of a wind turbine, is made mainly of steel, while thin stainless steel sheets and frames are required for solar panels. This wide application of steel products offers additional business opportunities to steel companies.

Meanwhile, the share of fossil fuels within primary energy consumption will fall from 81 percent to 74 percent over this span. However, the decline will be gradual due to population and economic growth in emerging countries and fossil fuels will continue to play a dominant role in the energy sector in terms of quantity of consumption.

Steel companies must target new markets by developing innovative steel products for the microgrids and energy storage systems which will grow alongside renewable energy.

The Steel Industry Over the Next Two Decades

Over the next two decades, the steel industry will face the following four challenges: slowing steel demand due to decreased steel intensity across major steel-consuming industries; a need for more advanced steel products; upgrading to eco-friendly and smart steelmaking processes; and changes in manufacturing based on the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Accordingly, it is imperative that the steel industry boost its capabilities for continues product and process innovation and build a sound steel ecosystem through partnerships with steel-consuming industries.

To this end, POSCO is not only investing in the development of an eco-friendly rolling process but also in sustainable development including energy conservation and recycling technologies. In addition to factory automation based on IoT, big data and AI, POSCO is working to increase the application of smart technology internally as well as externally with its partners and affiliates.

It is an exciting time for the steel industry as it continues to transform along with the ongoing and emerging megatrends.

Download the full version of POSRI’s Asian Steel Watch journal for more at POSRI’s official website.

Don’t miss any of the exciting stories from The Steel Wire – subscribe via email today.

Upcycling ensures that resources are used to their fullest extent, minimizing the number of trips made to the landfill. Vivian Kim, a travel writer, takes us deeper into this topic and introduces two examples of upcycling architecture from her time in both Korea and the Netherlands.

Steel, an Ideal Material for Upcycling

Steel is 100% recyclable, which makes it one of the most ideal materials for upcycling. Other construction materials, such as wood and plastic, can only be recycled a limited number of times before they lose its original properties and functionality and need to be downcycled (recycled into a material that is of lower quality than the original material). Steel, on the other hand, never loses its original quality. In fact, it can even increase in value and be upgraded to a higher grade of steel with the same amount of energy it would take to recycle it.  

High-strength Low-Alloy (HSLA) steel being recycled. (Photo courtesy of Recycling International)

Steel is also reusable. Entire buildings made of steel can be reused or have their lives extended by years, just by making small improvements. Because steel can be easily reused for its original purpose, there is less of a need to use raw materials from scratch, allowing for more sustainable construction.

Let’s take a look at some of the most widely recognized pieces of upcycling architecture in the Netherlands and Korea.   

Amsterdam’s Abandoned Shipyard Reborn as Cultural Hub

Utilizing recycled materials in the design of a building is nothing new. In fact, upcycling in the Netherlands had its beginnings in the 1960’s when a small, social movement began in Jordaan, a well-known neighborhood in Amsterdam. The Dutch began to mobilize the community to protect their historical buildings and prevent constant demolition from taking place. Local governments also recognized the importance of reusing and remanufacturing materials from an economic standpoint and began to push for more upcycling initiatives.

A great example of this is the NDSM ship wharf, the site of the former Dutch Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company. Just a 15-minute ferry ride from Amsterdam Central Station, the NDSM was once one of the largest shipbuilding companies in the world. However, a shortage of shipbuilding orders led to the company’s eventual closure in 1984. The abandoned shipyard soon became the breeding grounds for “city nomads” and local artists to take their place and breathe new life into the empty buildings. Through their efforts, the NDSM quarter was transformed into what is now a cultural hotspot in Amsterdam.

The NDSM ferry stop in Amsterdam Central.

As soon as visitors step off the ferry, they are greeted by what looks like a scene from an eerie, sci-fi movie. The NDSM ship wharf is full of gray, bleak buildings covered with graffiti and steel containers that are painted bright red and blue.

The former NDSM wharf is now Amsterdam’s newest creative hot spot.

Crane Hotel Faralda in the Sky of Amsterdam

At the center of the NDSM wharf stands a monumental, 50-meter-high crane called Crane 13. It is painted in red, blue and yellow, the signature colors of Dutch artist Mondrian. Built in 1951 by Hensen Ltd., it was one of the largest cranes in the world but slowly faded from the public’s memory with the closure of the shipbuilding company.

The Crane Hotel Faralda, transformed from a rusty, old crane into a luxurious high-end hotel.

In the spirit of upcycling, the 60-year-old rusty crane was transformed into the Crane Hotel Faralda in 2013 despite immense technical challenges. The hotel, named after a female Dutch spy who saved hundreds of people during World War II, is made entirely of steel.

As a crane’s main purpose is to lift heavy objects, only the strongest of steel is used to build it. For this reason, High-Strength Low-Alloy Steel (HSLA) is often employed. It contains 0.05% of carbon and other raw materials such as chromium, nickel, molybdenum, and vanadium – the secret behind its enhanced strength. HSLA steel is also more resistant to atmospheric corrosion, enabling Crane 13 to withstand the strong Netherland winds of the North Sea for over 60 years.

In the following time-lapse video, watch how the rusty crane transforms into an iconic symbol of the NDSM quarter and one of Europe’s most unique and sensational hotels.

An old rice mill transforms into one of Seoul’s hotspots

Another example of upcycling that shifts the culture can be found in the quaint neighborhood of Seongsu-Dong, South Korea. Known as the “Brooklyn of Seoul”, Seongsu-Dong is known for its trendy and hip cafes embedded in between old warehouses and factories. Its roots can be traced back to the 1970s where steel, leather and printing factories once dominated the streets. But, beginning in 2010, a wave of cafés, galleries, and studios began to break into the bleak space, transforming the once gray industrial district to a colorful vibrant scene brimming with new sights and sounds.

Daelim Warehouse in Seongsu-dong, Seoul. (Photo courtesy of Daelim Warehouse)

Hidden within the streets of Seongsu-Dong is the Daelim Warehouse, an old rice mill that has in recent years, been upcycled into a multi-cultural hub that doubles as a café and performance/exhibition venue for the artist community. From the bare concrete walls to the metal rod ceiling structure, it retains the distinct flair of a warehouse, cultivating a special atmosphere that has people flocking to it on a regular basis. Because of its unique interior, it has even been acknowledged as one of the most Instagram-worthy spots in Seoul.  

[clickToTweet tweet=”Upcycling is more than just a passing fad – it will continue to be an integral part of a sustainable lifestyle.” quote=”Upcycling is more than just a passing fad – it will continue to be an integral part of a sustainable lifestyle.” theme=”style6″]

From the NDSM quarter in Amsterdam to the Seongsu-Dong neighborhood in Seoul, upcycling has become a worldwide trend improving our surroundings as we live, create and build. Just as steel has been with mankind for thousands of years, it will continue to play a crucial role in recycling, reusing and upcycling.

Cover image courtesy of Crane Hotel Faralda

With the theme of “Great Thanks to You! True Pride in You!” the event included 120 guests from over 100 corporate customers. Major industries were represented, including those related to steel building materials, hot-rolled steel plates, energy, shipbuilding, automobile manufacturing, electric and electronics products, wire rods, and stainless steel production.

POSCO held its 2016 Customer Appreciation Night at the POSCO Center on December 16. The event was attended by approximately 120 executives from over 100 corporate customers.

“We beat expectations in 2016 in terms of performance, thanks to the constant support and trust from our customers, despite difficult domestic and overseas economic conditions,” said POSCO CEO Ohjoon Kwon in the main event. “Customers like you are the engines that will lead the future growth of the Korean economy and the global steel industry. In order to lay the foundation for sustainable growth with our customers in 2017, POSCO will do everything it can to develop innovative solutions that provide customers with advanced solution marketing.”

POSCO CEO Ohjoon Kwon welcomes executives from POSCO’s corporate customers and promises to continue focusing on providing advanced solution marketing.

In addition, attendees enjoyed the screening of a special video titled, “Dearest customers, we love you! We thank you!” The video humorously filmed customer responses as they received phone calls from POSCO saying, “I love you!”

Dinner began with toasts from POSCO CEO Ohjoon Kwon and Sang-woon Lee, Vice Chairman of Hyosung, and was followed by a performance from world-famous vocalist Paul Potts. In 2007, Potts catapulted to fame after winning the British audition program “Britain’s Got Talent”. Potts’ beautiful renditions of ‘Brindisi,’ ‘Parla Piu Piano’ (the theme of the film ‘The Godfather’), and ‘Missing Geumgang Mountain’ were warmly received by those in attendance, and Potts continued with an impressive duet with Korean musical singer Bada.

World-renowned vocalist Paul Potts gave a searing performance of classics such as Brindisi and Missing Geumgang Mountain.

As POSCO turns its attention to 2017, it plans to further solidify its leadership in the domestic and overseas steel markets by expanding sales of customer-oriented world-premium products. In addition, while further cementing its strategic partnerships with core customers, POSCO will be strengthening its differentiated competitive advantage through advanced solution marketing that helps unlock customer value.

Be sure you never miss any of the exciting steel stories from The Steel Wire by subscribing to our blog.

Here are ten interesting ways steel is used at sea.

Early Ships

In 1940, the construction of the world’s first all-welded ship, the SS Exchequer, was completed in Mississippi, US. The steel plates of the cargo vessel’s hull were welded end-to-end rather than overlapped and riveted—a technique that revolutionized shipbuilding at the time.

Since then, ships have been made almost exclusively of welded steel, thanks to the material’s affordability and lightweight properties.

Flood Protection

Steel plays a crucial role in protecting our lands from floods. Its durability and sheer strength make it an ideal underwater barrier to protect cities that are at high risk of flooding.

The Thames Barrier, for example, fortifies central London from floods caused by tidal surges. Weighing in at 3,700 tons, the barrier is made up of 10 steel gates and stretches 520 meters across the Thames River, the UK’s most famous waterway.

Artificial Reefs

Hurricane-resistant steel has been used to create hundreds of wave-resistant barriers that surround the shorelines of the Caribbean, American Gulf Coast and Southeast Asia.

Some of these steel reefs have been designed to force waves to break offshore and deposit their energy in a different area than directly on the coastline, thus protecting beaches. Others hold in sediment on beaches to prevent coastal erosion, while still others promote water activities like surfing.

Marine Life Preservation

What do you get when you toss some 25,000 decommissioned New York subway cars into the ocean? A marine life habitat, of course.

Primarily consisting of steel, the Redbird Reef off the eastern coast of the United States has functioned as a source of sanctuary and food for marine life, offering more viable conditions for the growth of nutrients and organisms than the sand bottom.

Meanwhile, other materials like steel slag have been used to promote marine forestation in damaged marine ecosystems.

Powering Renewable Energy

Steel is an essential material used in the development of tidal energy solutions worldwide, from the poles which secure turbines to the ground to their rotating blades. Considering the fact that tidal energy could eventually satisfy more than 20 percent of global energy demand, steel plays a key role in unlocking the renewable energy capacity of our oceans.

Similarly, steel makes up around 80 percent of all materials used to construct wind turbines that emit minimal carbon dioxide when producing energy.

Megaships

When it comes to building the world’s biggest megaships, there’s no material as favored by engineers than steel.

Take the Royal Caribbean International’s Harmony of the Seas cruise ship, for example. It was constructed with 227,000 tons of steel—enough material to build 31 Eiffel Towers. Standing upright, it is 210 feet tall, more than three times the height of London’s Olympic Stadium, and is nearly as long as four soccer fields combined.

Undersea Tunnels

Noting the comparable advantages undersea tunnels have over bridges, like their ability to divert traffic and not be affected by external factors, city planners began incorporating them into city layouts in the late 1800s.

The first notion of the Channel Tunnel, which connects England and France, was proposed in 1802, but didn’t become a reality until the 1960s. With 400 trains carrying 50,000 passengers and 54,000 tons of freight passing through it every day, steel reinforces other materials to keep the tunnel strong and sturdy.

Shipping

Ninety percent of global cargo is carried by sea. Because the size of steel ships and containers allows for enormous loads to be transported in a single trip, the majority of the 17 million shipping containers currently in use are made from steel.

Included among these shipping giants are Maersk’s Triple-E, the largest cargo ship in the world. It can fit approximately 18,000 shipping containers—enough space for 36,000 cars or 108 million pairs of sneakers!

Submarines

While submarine designs and oceanic capabilities have advanced over the centuries, one thing has remained constant—their steel construction.

Steel has the ability to withstand corrosion and avoid oxidizing reactions such as rust. It is also lightweight enough that it can be fast and effective in maneuvering underwater. As a result, the submarine’s steel body has enabled it to accomplish extraordinary expeditions, including James Cameron’s DEEPSEA CHALLENGER’s voyage to the deepest known part of the Earth.

Connecting the World

Steel is essential in the construction of canals. It is used to form the structure which supports the entire operation and is also utilized to make the locks so that they are tough enough to withstand extreme forces like water pressure.

The Panama Canal, for instance, is the largest canal in the world, with around 14,000 ships passing through it annually. Thanks to a system of large steel locks, the canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

This article is based on the #lovesteel materials published by the World Steel Association.

Submarines: The Ocean’s Steel Whales

Steel Solutions in Wind Power

Steel Wonders of the World: The Panama Canal

Water World: The Past, Present and Future of Undersea Tunnels

Making Waves in Ocean Conservation

Recycled Steel Changing the Way the World Uses Metal

Be sure you never miss any of the exciting steel stories from The Steel Wire by subscribing to our blog.

The ninth most common element in the earth’s crust, titanium is a low-density, high-strength transition metal that in very resistant to corrosion and can be combined with a variety of other metals to create incredibly strong, lightweight alloys. From spacecraft to toothbrushes, titanium is all around us, and POSCO is a significant player in this exciting field. Let’s take an in-depth look at this extraordinary element.

Not-So-Heavy Metal That Really Rocks

As the ninth most abundant mineral on Earth, titanium can be found nearly everywhere, and is almost always present in igneous rocks and sediment. But refining it proved difficult. Although first identified at the end of the 18th century, pure metal titanium wasn’t extracted until 1910, and commercial production required another 30 years.

Hard, light and resistant to corrosion, titanium is incredibly useful. It is 43 percent lighter than steel and twice as strong as aluminum alloys. But because it is difficult to manufacture, titanium is also expensive.

All told, the world consumes about 17 million tons of titanium each year. About 70 percent of that is used by just the United States, England, Japan, China and Korea. Before POSCO added titanium to its manufacturing capacity, Korea had to rely on imports.

POSCO decided to enter titanium production in 2008. By 2009 it was developing titanium products, and the following year it began commercial production and merchandizing. Business steadily grew, and by May 2015 POSCO had sold 10,000 tons of titanium.

Titanium’s Larger-than-Life Applications

When titanium first entered commercial production in the 1950s, it was only used in aviation, space and munitions. But as titanium manufacturing has progressed, titanium has expanded its uses into many other fields—shipbuilding, nuclear energy, automobiles all use titanium, as do golf clubs, hiking gear, kitchenware and cosmetics.

Today, the airline industry is a major user of titanium, as the element’s light weight and strength are two traits vital for airplanes. A single Boeing 777, for instance, uses 59 tons of titanium, while a Boeing 747 uses 45 tons and an A340 Airbus needs 32 tons. Missiles, armored carriers and spacecraft are also significant consumers of titanium.

Because titanium is so corrosion resistance, many oceanic vessels and seas-related facilities use it, too. Ships, submarines and offshore vessels all frequently use titanium, as do desalination plants.

But perhaps one of the newest and most impressive uses of titanium is as a building material. The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain has amazed tourists and architecture fans since the museum opened in 1997, with its unusual curved, corners and angles, all covered with titanium.

Titanium in Our Lives

Titanium has another important feature—it does not react with our bodies, making it safe for human use, like for implants, artificial joints, artificial hearts and more.

But titanium also is used for many more basic items from our day-to-day lives. Its strength makes it good for golf clubs or even bicycle seats. It is also good for camping equipment, leisure equipment and kitchen utensils.

One of titanium’s most common uses is actually rather mundane, acting as a whitening agent through the compound titanium dioxide (TiO2). Titanium dioxide creates one of the whitest whites known, and is used in paints, toothpaste, paper, ceramics, textiles and more. It’s even used in sunscreens because, in addition to being white, titanium dioxide is a good reflector of infrared radiation.

Large and Small, Titanium Has Great Potential

In short, the strength and lightness of titanium make it a truly special material, one that has enhanced our dreams and what humanity can accomplish. From the extraordinary to our daily lives, titanium has transformed what humanity can accomplish, and POSCO, as a significant manufacturer, is excited about where the power and potential of titanium might take us next.

Be sure you never miss any of the exciting steel stories from The Steel Wire by subscribing to our blog.

Marking its eighth anniversary this year, VIETSHIP is the largest international exhibition in Vietnam and is hosted by the Ship Building Industry Corporation (SBIC). Approximately 130 shipbuilding companies and equipment suppliers from around the world, including POSCO (South Korea) and DAMEN (Netherland), participated in the exhibition.

Attended by major government and corporate officials including Nguyen Van Cong, Vice Minister of Transportation of Vietnam, and Nguyen Ngoc Su, Chairman of SBIC, the exhibition started with an opening ceremony followed by various events such as a forum for buyers.

POSCO’s Unique Energy and Shipbuilding Technology Attracts Vietnamese Interests

On February 24, the opening day of VIETSHIP 2016, Youngho Choi, Sales Manager of POSCO Vietnam Holdings, talks business with a representative of the Dung Quat shipbuilding company during the buyers’ forum.

 During the buyer’s forum, POSCO Vietnam Holdings introduced POSCO’s steel plate for shipbuilding and POSCO SS VINA’s shape steel products to buyers from 12 major Vietnamese shipbuilding companies.

They were especially impressed with the fact that shape steel, which is highly dependent on imports, can be supplied within Vietnam. Many buyers inquired about POSCO SS VINA’s product supply and new product development plans.

On the following day, a conference was held under the theme “Outlook for the Shipbuilding Market in Vietnam.” Jongkyo Choi, Group Leader of the Energy and Shipbuilding Materials Marketing Department of POSCO, captured the audience’s attention when introducing the company’s unique customer-oriented marketing strategies for the shipbuilding industry, such as welding technology for high strength steel and low temperature steel.

VIETSHIP provided a chance for POSCO to raise company awareness and discover new business opportunities, as over 200 buyers visited the company’s booth, showing great interest in POSCO SS VINA’s shape steel products.

Customers at the POSCO booth admire POSCO SS VINA’s shape steel products.

“We had no previous knowledge about POSCO SS VINA, so the exhibition provided a good opportunity to learn about its shape steel products,” said Thanh Xuan of Ha Long Shipbuilding Company.

POSCO Vietnam Holdings will strive to become not only a supplier of materials, but also a business partner that enables customer success through Solution Marketing.

About POSCO SS VINA

POSCO SS VINA began operations in June 2015. It currently produces high-quality steel reinforcement products, and is the only manufacturer of large- and medium-sized shape steel. The plant is located in Vung Tau—a region with a large demand for steel—as well as Ho Chi Minh, the country’s economic hub.

Be sure you never miss any of the exciting steel stories from The Steel Wire by subscribing to our blog.

Yet, the quality standards for advanced steel used for drilling, producing, transporting, conserving and handling energy resources for oil and gas are becoming stricter so that steel can better endure the harsh drilling environments of the deep sea and polar areas, two domains on the radars of oil exploration geologists.

At this year’s Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), the world’s largest marine technology exhibition, which was held from May 4 to 7 in Houston, Texas, POSCO showcased its efforts on such developments. Included were its lineup of high-grade steel products, as well as the firm’s cross-department collaboration system between steel plants, laboratories and marketing departments, among others, to improve the development of functional, advanced steel.

Considered the leading forum for gathering and sharing offshore oil and gas information (as well as unveiling some impressive machinery), the goal of the conference, according to its website, is to “advance scientific and technical knowledge for the safe, environmentally friendly and sustainable development of offshore oil and gas resources.”

Despite recent low oil prices, the 2015 OTC attracted over 94,000 attendees, making it the sixth largest in its 47-year history. Additionally, approximately 2,700 major oil and global EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) companies from 37 countries participated.

Among these, POSCO represented South Korea, aiming to continue its solution marketing activities for advanced steel for energy, production and technology, as well as steel utilization techniques.

Introducing a variety of the company’s products and technologies, POSCO’s exhibition consisted of four zones: energy plants, energy pipes, shipbuilding, and manganese steel sectors. At the booth, a video on steel-making technology was presented to help attendees better understand steel products.

POSCO displayed its strength as a “total solution provider,” which has helped the firm to simultaneously strengthen its position in the steel market and discover new business opportunities.

Since it first participated in the OTC in 2008, POSCO has operated a booth annually as part of its demand development activities, which have led to the company’s increasing development of energy steel in a short period of time. Moreover, POSCO’s progressive product promotion and supplier certification activities have resulted in a successful long-term contract for the blanket supply of energy steel, and have solidified technical cooperation with clients.

As new advancements are made in offshore drilling technology, the utilization of steel in the industry will also evolve. POSCO will continue to adapt to such changes, and will work hard to manufacture sustainable, quality products to meet the demands of its clients.

A historian, an Emmy award-winning British author and a BBC television producer, Deborah Cadbury has written a book called Dreams of Iron and Steel. The book’s main characters are those who ‘overcame the fear for a failure and did not give up on challenging’. Though the book’s time setting is distant from the ‘industrial revolution’, the story does not come across as irrelevant, because the details of each structure’s building process reflect ourselves who are also facing ‘new challenges’ today.

In addition, the subject of ‘steel’ overlaps with the history of POSCO, which started from nothing in the desolate Yeongil Bay in 1968. Both subjects are similar in the way that both had a person with a dream that comes to a reality and the world has changed from it. 

As a BBC television producer, Deborah Cadbury, produced a docudrama series known as ‘Seven Wonders of the Industrial World’ (2003) and started her writing for Dreams of Iron and Steel (2005) at the same time.

The Brooklyn Bridge (1883) 

John Roebling, a U.S immigrant from Germany, won the contract to build the largest bridge that stretches across the East River separating Manhattan and Brooklyn. According to Roebling’s blueprint, it was clear that the structure would develop as a 2km-long masterpiece that possesses both durability and symmetrical delicacy. The foundations were to sink 21m below the water level and the two main 84m-high towers would overlook a panorama of New York City.

However, while seeking for the right spot for the towers, John Roebling was faced with imminent death from a terrible accident. Thus, his son, Washington Roebling continued his father’s legacy as a ‘Man of Steel’ and 14 years of construction finally came to an end in May 24^th, 1883. Transforming the cityscape of New York, the Brooklyn Bridge has become a symbol of Roebling family’s great human spirit.

The Hoover Dam (1936) 

In the late 19^th century, the desert regions of Arizona and Nevada were considered as a hostile environment. Arthur Powell Davis, the Director of U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, realized that even the desert regions can flourish by making some improvements. Accordingly, he planned a project to drill through snow-covered highlands and valleys, and to use the 2,253 km-long Colorado River as a source of hydropower. He also intended to stabilize the river, which experiences severe floods and droughts. Started in 1931 and finished by 1936, the Hoover Dam was soon to break all world records with its height equivalent to 60 stories and a volume bigger than the Great Pyramids at Giza.​

At the height of the Great Depression, poverty-stricken workers had to face explosions, carbon monoxide poisoning and sunstrokes, only to earn a few dollars a day. But the construction had to go on. The chief engineer, Frank Crowe, nevertheless, managed to complete ahead of schedule and under budget with his own know-how in structural management. Remaining as another masterpiece that represents an extraordinary ability of humankind, the dam epitomizes a clear evidence of overcoming a limitation through revolutionary structural improvements.

The ‘Great Eastern’ Ship (1858) 

(Photo from Wikipedia http://bit.ly/13zlY2w)

The ‘Great Eastern’, also known as the ‘crystal palace of the sea’, is distinctive in many ways other than being the largest ship in the world when it first launched on the River Thames in London. For instance, the design incorporated a double hull on the side and the bottom part of the ship which improved the draft line. However, the scale of the ship was too out of the ordinary for its time. Intriguingly, a distinguished mechanical and civil engineer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel dreamt of ‘creating a floating city made of iron and transporting 4,000 people to Australia, the opposite side of the earth’. Finishing his blueprints in 1852, Brunel initiated the construction on the River Thames in 1857. Living on the ship for two years, he poured his passion into this project. Unfortunately, in September 1959, just before the Great Eastern’s maiden voyage, Brunel died of a terrible stroke. Despite the failure in commercial use, Brunel’s name remains in the shipbuilding history for his colossal-scale ship and shipbuilding techniques.

The Bell Rock Lighthouse (1811)

(Photo from Wikipedia http://bit.ly/1t5eBfA) 

A creator of the Bell Rock Lighthouse, Robert Stevenson is the grandfather of Robert Louis Stevenson, an author of Treasure Island. The lighthouse was built on a 400m-wide reef 17km out to sea.  Numerous ships went down by crashing into the large reef that was submerged for most of the day. Although everyone believed it to be impossible, the construction of a lighthouse lasted for three years from March 1807 to October 1810. During the process, many workers were sacrificed and the structure collapsed a few times. Battling against the difficulties, Stevenson finally completed the lighthouse in February 1811. To this day, the lighthouse shines out across the North Sea forever.

Bazalgette’s London Sewers (1874)

(Photo from Wikipedia http://bit.ly/1CtGfFM) 

In the 1800’s, over 30,000 people died from three epidemics of cholera in London. In the summer of 1858, while the Great Eastern was preparing for her maiden voyage, the ‘Great Stink’ was sweeping through the city. A 37-year-old civil engineer, Joseph Bazalgette proposed a bold scheme for the problem. It only took him 12 weeks to outline his solution for the problem that lasted for hundreds of years. The key to his proposal was ‘simplicity’.

Previous sewage system and pipes all lead to both sides of the river. Bazalgette’s plan was to simply move various pipes and link the sewers to be connected. The plan seemed easy on the surface but the reality required to link 130km of sewage superhighway and 1,600km of street sewers, creating one large network of underground sewer system. It seemed as an implausible challenge at the time but eventually Bazalgette’s design brought the first modern sewer system. It not only saved the city of London and its inhabitants, but also became a standard model of sewer systems worldwide.

The Panama Canal (1914) 

The first person to plan an excavation of the Panama Canal was Charles V, the emperor of Spain in 1529. However, the actual project was discussed only in 1881 by a Frenchman, Vicomte Ferdinand de Lesseps, who completed building the Suez Canal in 1869. Regardless of his age at 74, Ferdinand de Lesseps had a vision to cut a path across continent through Panama connecting the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean. Although the plan was grandiose, the project execution faced insurmountable difficulties. The workers faced the tropical heat of Panama, impenetrable jungle, devastating mudslides, deathly tropical diseases and other obstacles. The lavish dream had cost lives of many workers and left company to bankrupt in 1889. To top it off, Vicomte Ferdinand de Lesseps also died soon after. The vivid dream eventually came true 25 years under the leadership of civil engineer, Colonel George Washington Goethals.

The Panama Canal is perceived as a miraculous triumph of technology in modern history. Being the longest canal in the history, the 80km-long Panama Canal took 35 years to complete. Moreover, the construction cost approximately 639 million dollars and lives of 25,000 workers. This sacrifice, however, achieved a miracle of shortening a 22,000km-long journey to a 9,500km journey of traveling from New York to San Francisco.

The Transcontinental Railway (1869) 

(Photo from Wikipedia http://bit.ly/1ACtjLw) 

During the American Civil War in 1857, the hero of the Union Army General William T. Sherman said “This will be the work of giants. And, President Lincoln is the only person that I know who can battle through this.” ‘This’ refers to the Transcontinental Railway, reaching across the American continent. Back then, it took about 6 months to travel from New York to California by ship. Under the administration of Abraham Lincoln, the Transcontinental Railway’s construction came to a start in 1860, in the midst of the American Civil War. As a solution to reunite the separated nation, Lincoln decided to initiate the railway construction which was possible due to repeated successes in the steel industry. Two railroad companies, Central Pacific Railroad Company from the west and Union Pacific Railroad Company from the east, started the construction separately from each end of the line. The completed railways were finally opened in 1869. About a decade later, it was possible to make the record of 83 hours and 39 minutes to travel 5,600km across the continent. Consequently, the railways acted as a catalyst for the U.S to develop as a key industrial nation.

As these unique masterpieces suggest, the slow but evolving industrial revolution was accomplished by continuous effort and endless passion of our ancestors. As they were the individuals who struggled to realize their dreams and leave marks on the world, POSCO will inherit their ambitions and continue to pursue further advancements of the overall industry.