POSCO lays out hydrogen steel production roadmap with 2050 target

The world's sixth-largest steel producer with output at over 40.5 mn t in 2020, South Korea's POSCO has announced a gradual conversion, in phases, of its carbon-emitting blast furnaces to hydrogen reduction steelmaking. The date for full commercialisation of the technology is set for 2050, as per latest reports.

Alliance with FMG

SteelMint reported earlier that POSCO has entered into an alliance with Australian iron ore major, Fortescue Metals Group (FMG), on supply of iron ore and green hydrogen. On 11 Dec'20, POSCO announced that it would achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 by drastically reducing carbon emissions through the hydrogen reduction steelmaking method.

After attending the 'Korea H2 Business Summit' recently, POSCO Chairman Jeong-Wee Choi actively paraded the technology introduced at the 2021 Hydrogen Mobility + Show, as per latest reports.

From FINEX to hydrogen

The steel major plans to complete the technology development within 10-20 years by gradually increasing the hydrogen concentration of its FINEX steelmaking process at the Pohang steelworks that uses iron ore fines and non-coking coal for steelmaking.

Along with increasing the proportion of hydrogen in integrated steelmaking, POSCO aims to commercialise the technology by 2050 while promising to manufacture high-manganese steel with excellent strength as well as electrical-resistance welded pipes with superb resistance to hydrogen corrosion, as per SteelMint reports.

Source: Steel Daily