POSCO builds next‑generation galvanized automotive steel plant
- Invests approximately KRW 480 billion to install the No.8 continuous galvanizing line (8CGL) with 450,000 t/yr capacity.
- Groundbreaking took place on September 8; 8CGL is scheduled for completion in 2028 and is POSCO’s first new hot‑dip galvanizing investment since 2017.
- 8CGL will link to POSCO’s new electric arc furnace to produce lower‑carbon, extra‑wide hot‑dip galvanized sheets for midsize and larger SUVs and RVs.
- AI analytics and robotics will monitor process and quality data, reduce defects, improve efficiency and handle high‑risk tasks like removing impurities from molten zinc.
Project and capacity
POSCO broke ground on its No. 8 Continuous Galvanizing Line (8CGL) at Gwangyang Works on September 8. The new line will add 450,000 metric tons per year, bringing POSCO’s annual hot‑dip galvanized sheet capacity to 4.95 million tonnes. The project carries an estimated investment of KRW 480 billion and is scheduled for completion in 2028. It is POSCO’s first new hot‑dip galvanizing facility since 2017.
Technical features and products
8CGL will produce hot‑dip galvanized steel sheets for automotive exterior panels, prioritising extra‑wide formats for midsize and larger SUVs and recreational vehicles and lower‑carbon grades made from electric arc furnace (EAF) steel. The line will include an ultra‑high‑temperature heat treatment system optimised for EAF‑based sheets to meet automaker demand for improved paintability, corrosion resistance and formability.
Digitalisation and safety
POSCO plans to deploy AI technologies built on more than 30 years of operational data to analyse material, process and quality metrics in real time, reduce variation and defects, and improve production efficiency. The company will use AI and robotics to automate high‑risk tasks such as removing impurities from high‑temperature molten zinc and collecting samples.
Strategic fit
The investment aligns with POSCO Holdings’ Triple Core strategy to strengthen industrial, strategic and energy resources and with the group’s focus on mobility materials, including Giga Steel and HyperNO. POSCO intends to further develop Gwangyang Works as a steelworks specialised in next‑generation mobility to support customer responsiveness and stable production.
Source: POSCO