Dongkuk Steel, Establishes 10MW-Class Solar Power Self-Generation... Saves 1.5 Billion KRW Annually

Annual Carbon Reduction of 6,000 Tons

Solar power self-generation facility installed on the roof of Dongkuk Steel Pohang Plant. Photo by Dongkuk Steel

Dongkuk Steel is improving power efficiency and achieving carbon emission reduction by introducing renewable energy self-generation facilities.

Dongkuk Steel invested a total of 12.5 billion KRW to build solar power self-generation facilities on the roofs of three buildings at the Pohang plant, covering 50,000 pyeong. Construction began in August last year, installation was completed in March this year, and full-scale power generation has recently started.

The new facility is a 10 MW-class self-generation system that produces and utilizes about 13 GWh of electricity annually. 13 GWh is enough to supply electricity for about 6,500 households of four people for one year. Dongkuk Steel expects to save about 1.5 billion KRW in electricity costs annually and achieve a carbon reduction effect of 6,000 tons per year.

At the Pohang plant, Dongkuk Steel applied GIX, a highly corrosion-resistant magnesium alloy coated steel sheet, to the solar power generation structures. GIX has corrosion resistance up to seven times better than conventional galvanized steel sheets against rain, snow, and sea breeze. It is an eco-friendly steel product developed by Dongkuk Steel for renewable energy facility construction.

The introduction of solar power self-generation facilities is part of Dongkuk Steel's 'Steel for Green' strategy. Although Dongkuk Steel's carbon emissions account for about 2% of the entire steel industry, it is pursuing an eco-friendly sustainable growth strategy aiming to reduce carbon emissions by an additional 10% compared to the current level by 2030.

To this end, Dongkuk Steel plans to continuously review the expansion of eco-friendly self-generation projects such as waste heat recovery and gas power generation.

In 2020, Dongkuk Steel signed a memorandum of understanding for a solar power generation project at the Dangjin plant with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power and others, and has installed and operated a 13 MW-class solar power generation facility. Based on the existing operational know-how, it newly constructed self-generation facilities in Pohang.