Durable Steel, a Foundation for Sustainable Solar Energy

Tolerance against corrosion is crucial for maintaining a long-lasting solar energy generating system. Once installed, the solar panel and its frame structures are exposed to external forces which can reduce electric power generation. To withstand exposure to wind, water, and salt, PosMAC was invented as a revolutionary coating layer that significantly increases the resistance to corrosion.

‘Simonkolleite’, the layer coating on the PosMAC provides strong resistance against corrosion. (Source: POSCO Youtube)

PosMAC stands for POSCO Magnesium Aluminum alloy Coating. Its oxidized layer called ‘Simonkolleite,’ the coating material of the steel that is composed of zinc, magnesium and aluminum that shows five to ten times higher tolerance against corrosion compared to that of other market steels. Beyond such highly competitive performance, PosMAC is cost-effective, providing a long-term financial benefit for both manufacturing and consuming parties. These secure and competitive qualities are key to PosMAC’s trendsetting role in the sustainability movement, reaching the growing solar energy market around the world.

Dominating the Global Solar Energy Market

The sales of PosMAC used for solar structures have been growing doubles each year since its public release in 2013. Domestically, the application of PosMAC is sought through Solution Marketing with solar support structure manufacturing companies including AJU STEEL, Daedong, NEMO ENG, and JEJU TOP SOLAR.

In the global arena, POSCO is engaging in worldwide conferences to publicize PosMAC’s advanced technology. A recent showcase was on May 21 where POSCO participated in the annual Mexican International Renewable Energy Congress, ‘MIREC WEEK 2018’ in Mexico, one of the biggest renewable energy conferences in the world. As the sole steel manufacturing participant, PosMAC’s broad capacity was successfully promoted to major solar EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction) companies such as NEXTracker, Soltec, and Axial.

POSCO promotes PosMAC’s superior corrosion resistance capabilities to the South American market at MIREC WEEK 2018 in Mexico.

Solution Marketing Shaping PosMAC’s Today and the Future

One of POSCO’s successful Solution Marketing is observed in joint efforts with AJU STEEL Company. AJU STEEL recognized the innovative traits of PosMAC, not long since its release, and identified various areas that would benefit from PosMAC’s outstanding durability.

PosMAC showed great performance particularly in Jeju Island, Korea where there is a higher degree of salinity, humidity and wind that accelerate steel corrosion. These rough environmental conditions had adverse effects on the durability of agricultural facilities. In spite of this, with PosMAC’s high endurance performance, AJU STEEL and POSCO sought to effectively prevent facilities from deteriorating in Jeju. With the success of adopting PosMAC in the agricultural structures in Jeju Island, AJU STEEL has constructed several facilities like bell pepper and banana farms making further use of PosMAC technology. It has undeniably contributed to advancement in agricultural structures.

Additionally, in efforts with AJU STEEL, PosMAC is being actively applied to solar structures and its performance is also highly reliable as marine solar panels that are also susceptible to severe external influences. AJU STEEL is further planning to expand the joint business from building structures into smart farming facilities, eventually seeking export outlets.

PosMAC has proven to be inevitable in building advanced structures which is the backbone of generating sustainable solar energy and bringing agricultural advancement. As such, POSCO has been marked as a dominant pioneer not only in resolving the structural problems of facilities but of continuously creating better living standards actively by encouraging and creating superior infrastructure.

Besides utility managed solar farms, solar developers are targeting other open spaces, such as auto parking lots, for large-scale energy savings (Source: Phys.org)

The surge in these installations is prompting a parallel upswing in solar infrastructure, which is seeing its own technology advances as a result of high demand and the need for greater cost efficiencies. While sturdy racking is important to protect against the ravages of nature, one of the main requirements for large solar farms — and any larger installation — is solar tracking equipment.

Solar tracking offers grid operators the opportunity to squeeze efficiency from sunlight at all hours of the day. While fixed-panel arrays are highly efficient for general-purpose energy harvesting, single-axis solar tracking can increase a solar farm’s annual output by roughly 30 percent. Dual axis trackers can add 10-20 percent beyond that. For example, air mass tables for solar panels show that a panel mounted on a tracker can harness as much as 60% of solar intensity in the late afternoon at an angle of 15 degrees, 50% at 10 degrees, and capture 25% at a mere five degrees. In large installations these gains can mean the ability to respond with enough power to satisfy peak demand.

Solar tracking systems explained

A solar tracking system is used for a variety of applications. Depending on the applications, the mounting systems will differ somewhat. Typically solar trackers hold single or multiple standard flat panels, arranged in rows and funneling power to an energy storage site or directly to a substation.

Parabolic mirrors can focus sunlight onto solar collectors. (Source: EU Solaris)

However, solar trackers are critical for large-scale solar installations using concentrated solar power (CSP). These trackers hold mounted mirrors that reflect sunlight to a central collector tower containing hot liquid or gas. They are also a key element in concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) installations that use parabolic mirrors or lenses to focus sunlight (and even ambient light from the sky) into solar collectors that are part of each unit. These panels and mirrors require precise angles to enable optimized concentration of the light onto a fixed-location tower, into Fresnel lenses, or into a solar thermal collector. The tracking system may be centralized, where a single motor moves many rows of panels at once, or a distributed system, where an individual motor moves one row or table of panels.

Horizontal single axis trackers (pictured above) are better suited for lower latitudes. (Source: Energia Solar)

Solar tracking devices can be classified by the number of axes around which they rotate and by their orientation. Horizontal single axis trackers (HSATs) are horizontal to the ground and mounted on rotating tubes supported by pylons or frames. Horizontal single axis trackers with tilted modules (HTSATs) are similar but installed at an angle, for higher latitudes, but rotate the same way. Vertical single axis tracker (VSAT) panels, also for higher latitudes, rotate around a vertical axis, but the layout must be designed to prevent the rows of panels from casting shade on each other. A hybrid horizontal/vertical tracking system is referred to as a tilted single axis tracker (TSAT).

A tilted single axis tracker is a hybrid of horizontal and vertical tracking systems. (Source: The University of Queensland)

In addition to the panels or mirrors, tracker hardware may include steel posts or rails, cables, junction boxes, slew drives to rotate the panels, and hydraulic dampers to provide flexible resistance against the wind. The structures must be robust, well-anchored, easily transported and installed, and must be able to withstand the elements, including hot or cold locations, strong storms, heavy rain or snowfall, and even seismic activity.

Perceptions of solar tracking

For a time, solar tracking for large-scale installations had a reputation as a more expensive and maintenance-intensive technology despite the higher energy capture rates. Some of these reliability perceptions still linger. In actuality, according to Greentech Media, solar tracking systems boast a 99.9 percent uptime rate and advances continue in mechanical functionality and software-based optimization. In fact, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reports that of all utility solar projects constructed in the US in 2016, 79% used solar tracking rather than a fixed panel.

Advances in solar tracking

Despite being perceived as a less exciting infrastructural component of the solar industry, solar tracking has seen a number of technological and mechanical breakthroughs that promise increased growth due to lower costs and increased weather resistance.

One of the challenges is the economics of land use and site preparation. Until recently, utilities and third-party solar farm developers had to plan carefully to ensure that the needed amount of power could be generated from a particular site size given solar tracker configurations (e.g. HSAT vs VSAT). Additionally, they had to take into consideration the site contours and how much grading and preparation would be required to adapt the site to optimized solar tracker deployment. As a result, there has been stiff competition for flat sites.

Utilizing slopes and rolling terrain

In California, a company called Nevados Engineering is on the verge of launching single axis trackers designed to work on south-facing and sun-facing slopes and varied terrain, which offer better solar exposure. The company’s All Terrain Tracker (ATT) technology uses unique bearings that allow articulation with the driveline so it can fit the terrain using the same kind of posts as on flat land. Every post in the row is used to withstand the slope load, which is the toppling force exerted by the structure being pulled down the hill by gravity. The tracking units can handle slopes of over 20 degrees and can also handle side-to-side, and vertical, post misalignment of up to two feet. The advance vastly reduces the need for grading and landscaping, enabling solar developers to purchase significantly cheaper sloped or contoured terrain to maximize solar energy capture.  The company’s software enables developers to predict solar production for a site to calculate the economics.

Nevados Engineering’s All Terrain Tracker technology and help install solar trackers in all kinds of terrains. (Source: LA Cleantech Incubator)

“We need to look beyond what we expect solar trackers to do,” said Yezin Taha, CEO of Nevados Engineering. “Installing trackers on a slope can capture 7% more solar energy than trackers on flat ground, and 32% more energy than fixed tilt systems.”

Leveraging non-standard sites

Another recent development, floating ground mounts, has also made more large-scale solar sites available. While most solar trackers are mounted on posts that are driven directly into the ground or less frequently, on posts that use concrete foundations or ballast, certain kinds of terrain won’t support driving posts or invasive concrete structures. These sites, such as capped landfills, can be highly suitable for solar installations due to their height, restricted access, and unsuitability for other uses. The development of floating ground mounts, where the tracker is placed on a gravel pan that can be filled with a variety of materials, has made possible the use of these kinds of sites where posts can’t be driven.

Resisting the elements

Advances in resistive materials also show promise for the solar tracking industry. Posts and other tracking components are typically made of galvanized steel, which means they are coated with a high zinc content layer. Galvanization has been the most weatherproof and anti-corrosive solution to-date, but it still allows rust to form over time. Moisture can be an electrolyte that enables galvanic corrosion to occur, so that as humidity increases, the rate of corrosion increases. Also, atmospheric contaminants can catalyze the chemical reaction. Chlorides in marine environments, as well as and sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxides in industrial locations, may present a higher risk of corrosion.

Recently steel companies such as POSCO have begun to add magnesium to the coatings for further protection, a process that had been prohibitively complex until now.  POSCO’s PosMAC is a combination of zinc, aluminum and magnesium that “heals” any exposed parts of the steel by forming a layer of simonkolleite, a stable compound, over the vulnerable area. The development promises greater ruggedness and durability for tracking components.

Streamlining operations and maintenance

Finally, the advent of sensors, drone-based inspections, and the Internet of Things (IoT) will have a growing impact on solar farm operational costs by enabling remote monitoring, hardware predictability, just-in-time replacement and streamlined functioning. An operator in Germany could easily determine when to clean the solar panels in a Dubai installation after a dust storm or know when a tracking mechanism becomes jammed.

Solar tracking mechanisms can be monitored easily with the help of artificial intelligence. (Source: Micro Power Grids)

These advances, coupled with the cost efficiencies of solar and the increasing availability of grid-level energy storage solutions, will continue to boost the utility-scale solar energy market and take market share from fossil fuel power plants. The expansion of solar power offers a significant opportunity for multiple industries, from materials providers to solar panel manufacturers, tracking system component manufacturers, sensor distributors, battery makers, software developers and even drone suppliers. By leveraging the confluence of these technologies each industry can ensure that they participate in the solar market’s return on investment.

Tom Breunig is the publisher of Cleantech Concepts, an online magazine and market research firm tracking cleantech R&D and innovative business models.

POSCO GIGA STEEL –  For Automakers

POSCO GIGA STEEL is like the iPhone X or the latest Xbox or PlayStation for automakers. It’s the newest, hottest must-have item for any type of car. Automakers are constantly working to lightweight their vehicles without compromising strength to meet increasingly stringent safety and environmental regulations. In order to offer its auto partners the ultimate solution, POSCO developed POSCO GIGA STEEL, an advanced high-strength steel (AHSS) that comes in 6 different types for a variety of applications in vehicles.

POSCO GIGA STEEL can be applied to different parts of a vehicle chassis. (Source: Renault Samsung)

Applying AHSS, including POSCO GIGA STEEL, resulted in a 26 percent reduction in the total weight of a vehicle. Not only that, POSCO GIGA STEEL emits about 10 kg less carbon emissions than aluminum from a life cycle analysis (LCA) viewpoint. Plus, POSCO GIGA STEEL is about 2.1 to 3.5 times less expensive than alternative options like aluminum. It’s no surprise that leading automakers like Renault Samsung, Ssangyong Motors and GM Korea use POSCO GIGA STEEL, proving it to be the all-time favorite gift for automakers.

PosMAC- For Photovoltaic Structure Manufacturers

Solar energy is the fastest growing source of renewable energy in the world, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). In India, solar electricity generation capacity quadrupled from 2014 to 2017 as it is the cheapest form of alternative fuel in the country. The government also plans to back the industry with USD 100 billion in investments. India is one of many countries looking to solar energy to meet their country’s environmental goals and stimulate the economy.

As a result, photovoltaic (PV) structure manufacturers around the world are working to keep up with the growing demand and gain a competitive edge with high-quality products. PosMAC is ideal for PV structures because it is highly corrosion resistant and cost-effective. Not only is the material itself lower in costs compared to other materials, PosMAC ensures a long lifecycle, decreasing maintenance costs to give manufacturers an added competitive edge. For such manufacturers, POSCO PosMAC steel is the perfect gift.

Magnesium- For Electronics Manufacturers

Magnesium is a common material in electronic devices such as laptops and smartphones. Magnesium is the perfect gift for electronics manufacturers such as LG and Samsung, as their competitiveness lies in delivering the most versatile, lightweight and convenient devices to their customers.

The Samsung Notebook 9 is one of the lightest laptops available. (Source: CNET)

Magnesium is also increasingly finding its way into the automotive industry, especially for electric vehicles (EVs), as magnesium plates and other parts allow automakers to further reduce the weight of the car. Magnesium will likely be the perfect gift for that manufacturer who is thinking ahead and always experimenting new ways to improve future models of their cars.

Hyper NO- EV Manufacturers

The market for EVs is one of the fastest growing, expected to expand from USD 27.84 billion in 2016 to USD 38.98 billion by 2021, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7 percent. Much of the success of EVs lies in its motors that will determine the EV’s efficiency, performance and feasibility for wide-spread use. As such, POSCO came up with the perfect gift for EV manufacturers – the Hyper NO.

Hyper NO is a type of electrical steel used to make electric motors. POSCO’s new technology increases the magnetic flux density and reduces core loss of electric motors, making it the perfect gift for electric motor manufacturers looking for ultimate efficiency.

Stainless Steel Products- For Everyone

There are some gifts that satisfy just about everyone, like a gift card for the movies or the nearest cafe. It’s not super special, but it’s a safe and sure choice for anyone as it is practical and functional.

Stainless steel is the ultimate gift for manufacturers as it’s one of the most widely-used materials in the world for a variety of products including surgical tools, watches, kitchenware, buildings, pipes, artistic sculptures and plenty more. It’s literally the foundation of cities and communities all over the world, and without it, the world would not have the most basic systems in place today. Moreover, stainless steel’s non-corrosive and 100 percent recyclable characteristics make it one of the best gifts for every kind of manufacturer.

No matter the type, there is a perfect gift for every manufacturer with steel. POSCO will make sure to provide even more customized and innovative solutions for its partners and continue to “keep on giving” in the new year.

In major cities around the world, industrial activity is creating visible damages. (Source: International Business Times)

In order to meet this mark, industries need to find sustainable sources of fuel in the near future, or be met with costly penalties. Up to now, the price of non-renewable fuel was too attractive for clean energy to be competitive. However, tighter regulations, major leaps in technology and state-level commitment have birthed a new era of renewable energy.

Energy you can bank on

According to Bloomberg analysts, USD 10.2 trillion will be spent on new power generation by 2040, 72 percent of which will go towards wind and solar photovoltaic plants. By then, the cost of solar electricity will drop 66 percent, meaning by 2021, solar power will be cheaper than energy from coal in China, India, Mexico and the UK. The cost of onshore wind power will decrease by 47 percent by 2040, and offshore wind power by 71 percent thanks to more advanced and cost-effective wind turbines.  

Renewable energy is getting more and more competitive, and companies who don’t make the switch to clean fuel will be left out of the race.

SEE ALSO: How POSCO Sees a Future of Renewable Energy

However, electricity doesn’t fall from trees.

It falls from steel! Tons of steel (literally) are used to extract and convert energy from renewable energy sources.

Wind Energy

Most wind turbines are made of steel, and for an average wind turbine, 140 tons of steel are used. That accounts for 80 percent of all the materials that go into the tower, the nacelle, rotor blades and its supporting facilities. The majority of steel is used to make the tower which serves as the foundation on which the blades turn to generate energy. There are several types of turbine towers, such as steel-concrete hybrid towers, steel truss towers and steel lattice towers, but about 90 percent of all wind turbine towers are made of tubular steel. Also, steel’s non-corrosive properties maximize the lifetime of wind turbines and minimize maintenance costs.

Solar Energy

Solar electricity is one of the most promising types of renewable energy. By as soon as 2030, it can make up 13 percent of the world’s energy, and by 2050, the sun will be the largest source of electricity on earth. And steel will be soaking it all up – the sunlight that is. Steel makes up not only the frame of the solar panels, but the heat exchangers and other related infrastructure. Stainless steel is a great choice for solar panel frames because it is dense, high in strength and has the greatest corrosion-resistance than other light metals.  

SEE ALSO: India: A Rising Sun in the Global Renewable Energy Industry

Geothermal Energy

Mother earth just keeps on giving. There are about 1400 TWh of geothermal energy in the earth’s core that can be harvested by 2050. Geothermal energy gives off extreme heat, so it is vital for the heat exchangers, condensers, pipes, filters, pumps and valves to be corrosion resistant. Otherwise, maintenance costs would be unsustainable and corrosion can contaminate the water as well. That’s why most of the infrastructure related to geothermal energy is made of iron castings, stainless steel and steel alloys.

Tidal Energy

There’s plenty of energy in the sea as well. In the world’s oceans, there are about 1 million megawatts of usable tidal energy. Steel makes up most parts of the underwater turbines including the nacelles, support structures and underlying piles for a sturdy and sustainable power source. As with other renewable energy, increasing the lifetime and decreasing maintenance costs will determine the competitiveness of tidal energy. Thus, stainless steel is the go-to material for corrosion resistance. The infrastructure related to tidal energy extraction is massive in scale and will call for thousands and thousands of pounds of steel to construct.  

Korea is the largest source of tidal energy in the world, with 552.7 GHw of electricity harvested from Siwha Lake every year. It’s also where steelmaker POSCO is located to provide the necessary types and grades of steel for renewable energy production.

POSCO E&C has its own solar, wind, tidal and refuse-derived fuel (RDF) plants, which makes sure even industrial wastes get turned into energy. The company was also the first company in Korea to build a solar power plant in 8 different regions capable of generating 31.2MW of solar electricity.

In order to stay competitive in the market, industries are already using or transitioning towards renewable energy sources to fuel their business activities. As governments around the globe also commit to a greener future, the demand for steel used in renewable energy infrastructure will see a significant boost.

Cover photo courtesy of the National Geographic.

The Demographic Cliff

Economic forecaster and author of “The Demographic Cliff,” Harry Dent, says people between the ages of 45 and 49 are typically the heads of families and spend the most money on things like housing, cars and appliances. As populations age, fewer people will make up the prime spending age group of 45 to 49, and there will be a drop in consumption. Dent calls this the “demographic cliff,” or the “consumption cliff”. The world has seen proof of this theory in places like Japan, Western Europe and the U.S., where economic downturn has come at times of a population downturn.

The Japanese stock market crashed in the early 90s, and they have yet to fully recover. (Source: Huffington Post)

Japan, for example, was one of the first nations to experience a demographic cliff in the early 90s. It was also the time when its stocks and real estate prices fell 60 percent. Those prices never rebounded. Since then, the country has spiraled into debt (the world’s highest at 246 percent of GDP) with an increasingly aging workforce and stagnant economy. From 2010 to 2015, Japan’s population decreased by almost 1 million people, and the government is working to prevent the population from falling below 100 million by 2060.

The U.S. 2008 Financial Crisis came shortly after its demographic cliff. (Source: Reuters)

Dent also argued that the American baby boomers of the early 60s peaked in 2007, at their highest spending age, and then the economy experienced a downturn, in the form of the 2008 financial crisis. Since then, the U.S. government has added USD 8.4 trillion in debt. Although the reasons for the 2008 crisis are complex, Dent does prove a point: demographics have a huge impact on economics.

Falling Steel Consumption

As it was with Japan and the U.S., consumption will decrease in industries critical to the steel market. In Japan, steel consumption decreased 81 percent from 1995. According to a report by POSCO Research Institute, construction accounts for 42 percent of total steel demand and the auto industry accounts for 18.5 percent. Decreased spending on homes and cars due to the demographic cliff will have a significant impact on the steel industry. Decreased demand in other industries such as machinery and home appliances will also affect steel demand.

The construction industry will be the hardest-hit by a demographic cliff. (Source: CNBC)

Moreover, manufacturers will be faced with the problem of a shrinking workforce. Those entering the workforce will do so with the burden of sustaining government programs with a larger portion of their paychecks, and employers will start to notice the gaps not only in age but experience and skill as well. With fewer people entering the workforce, employers will be forced to outsource jobs and governments may factor in more lenient immigration policies to fill the gaps.

How can Steelmakers Prepare for the Future?

Although there is no quick solution to the aging population and low birthrates, steelmakers can start preparing for a demographic cliff in two ways. Enter markets with growing populations and introduce smart technology to fill the human labor gap.

In developing countries in Asia and Africa, there are little signs of population and economic stagnation. As those countries invest in their infrastructure and start to consume more homes, cars and appliances, steel will be in high demand, more than those countries can produce domestically.

India’s solar energy industry will lead to an increase in demand for steel. (Source: WLE)

India is one of the countries with a growing population. The government is undergoing numerous projects to boost its economy and prepare for growth, including the project to boost its solar energy market. The Indian government has plans to invest USD 100 billion and 100 gigawatts (GW) of solar capacity for the country by 2022. Steel is a vital part of solar panels and suppliers like POSCO are already partnering with Indian firms to provide the leading material and technology for India to meet its growing renewable energy demand. POSCO also has partnerships in the U.S., Bangladesh, Myanmar, Uzbekistan and more to help each country fill their supply gaps.

In order to fill the domestic labor shortage, POSCO is incorporating leading AI technology, IoT and big data to its smart factories.

It is true that today’s developed nations have reached, or are heading towards a demographic cliff. Japan is a classic example of how detrimental a shrinking and aging population can be for a country’s economy. Governments and industries have to start factoring in demographics to their long-term strategies and plan for a changing future.     

Cover photo courtesy of 24×7 Daily.

While the Smart Energy Marketplace featured innovative products that provide electricity in more sustainable ways, the Sleep Tech Marketplace showcased exciting sleep-related technologies aimed at improving health through better sleep. Check out some of the recent advancements below and let us know what you think!

The Smart Energy Marketplace: Cleaner & Sustainable Electricity

As they do every year, tech giants and startups used CES to debut their new products and ideas. Just when it seemed that the market was saturated with enough cool floating Bluetooth speakers and mobile charging cases, CES 2017 took it to another level with new solar-powered gadgets.

• Designed by Lemon Technology, The California Roll is the first solar-powered, waterproof speaker. It lasts up to 20 hours with only 7 hours of sunlight, includes voice recognition capabilities, and uses NFC to offer a faster and more reliable connection with less energy consumption. Because it is waterproof, the California Roll is good to go, rain-or-shine.
• When your smartphone battery dies, iPowerUp is a case that can recharge the phone from solar cells located on the back. Its solar panels store energy and then charge your phone when an outlet is unavailable.

POSCO’s work in developing smart energy technology can be seen in the World Premium Product, PosMAC (POSCO Magnesium Aluminum alloy Coating). Solar cells need to be installed with materials that are both lightweight and sturdy enough to withstand the elements. PosMAC is uniquely suited for solar energy development because it is durable, light weight, and non-corrosive.

The Sleep Tech Marketplace: Better Sleep & Improved Health

Trouble sleeping? CES showcased a possible solution at its Sleep Tech Marketplace. In its first year, the marketplace showcased several products that help regulate your body’s circadian rhythm and provide a more peaceful sleep.

• If noises are keeping you up at night, Nightingale is a device that plugs into an outlet and masks common indoor and outdoor noises that can disrupt sleep patterns by adding ambient sounds, called “sound blankets.” Two speakers placed in two different units in a room utilize the walls to reflect sound and blend it into the background.
• PEGASI Smart Sleep Glasses solves a series of sleep related issues by generating lights of specific wavelengths to stimulate the suprachiasmatic nucleus on the hypothalamus, which controls the circadian rhythms that help regulate sleeping patterns.

POSCO has also been working to develop technologies that can help regulate sound for more peaceful sleep. PosCoZy was designed to provide a more peaceful and quieter living experience through a flooring system that can greatly reduce impact noise between floors in apartment buildings and offices. PosCoZy’s manganese Z-clips’ resistance to vibrations are 4x higher than regular steel. What’s more, PosCoZy helps reduce the sound of typical walking from 50 decibels to just 40dB, while impact sounds are lowered from 58dB to 38dB. That means you can sleep through the night without hearing the party going on upstairs.

Bigger and bolder than ever before, CES 2017 took great strides with new marketplaces, including the smart energy and sleep tech industries. POSCO continues to develop pioneering solutions alongside these breakthrough innovations as well to find advanced solutions for the 21^st century.

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The purpose of the seminar was to introduce PosMAC steel and explain its benefits to existing and potential clients in the Indian market. A total of 70 participants including clients, traders and interested government officials, among others, were in attendance.

A detailed presentation on PosMAC was given by the POSCO Product Application Center’s Dr. Tae Hyu Ha. Stressing the importance and versatility of PosMAC as a premium steel, Ha explained the distinct advantages of PosMAC compared to other types of steel.

Despite its thinner coatings, PosMAC was described as five to ten times more corrosion-resistant than competing products, boasting superior chemical properties. PosMAC’s high performance under corrosive conditions, such as alkaline, humid and high-salt environments, was emphasized in a discussion on its application in large-scale projects.

Afterwards, attendees inquired about the product characteristics, practical usage, certification and warranty conditions of PosMAC, which were duly answered by Ha.

The session also provided networking opportunities for POSCO and its potential clients.

Following the seminar, POSCO-INDIA expects a boost in marketing and sales of PosMAC and aims to strengthen the sales of POSCO’s solutions marketing and World Premium (WP) products in India.

In particular, POSCO seeks to make PosMAC a widely used product in the solar power industry. Being supported by the Indian government’s solar energy mission to reach 100 gigawatts (GW) by 2022, the solar industry has a high growth potential.

PosMAC steel is in high demand, not only for its strength and resistance but also for its cost-effectiveness, including its life-cycle cost (LCC) effectiveness.

In addition, the pre-engineered buildings (PEB), pipe and white goods industries are also high growth potential areas for PosMAC. With a strengthening economy and increased focus on infrastructure, the Indian market seems to offer a very bright future for PosMAC steel.

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