Hyundai Steel has started mass production of low-emission steel sheets that reduce carbon emissions by around 20pct compared with conventional blast furnace products. The materials will be supplied to automakers Hyundai Motor and Kia.
The company said the products are manufactured using a hybrid steelmaking process that combines molten metal from electric arc furnaces and blast furnaces, marking a first-of-its-kind application. The process was tested at Hyundai Steel’s Dangjin plant from April 2023 to verify safety and product quality before moving into full-scale production this month.
Hyundai Steel has so far certified 25 steel products produced using the new method, including two low-emission steel sheet grades, and plans to certify a further 28 products by year-end. The initiative forms part of Hyundai Motor Group’s broader carbon-reduction roadmap.
Hyundai Motor and Kia plan to begin using the low-emission steel in selected vehicles produced in South Korea and Europe from this year. Hyundai Steel said it will gradually expand both product offerings and supply volumes, while also targeting exports to global automakers and manufacturers, including offshore wind power structure producers.
Hyundai Steel, established in 1953 as Korea’s first steelmaker, has grown into a major global steel producer, specializing in materials for the automotive, construction and shipbuilding sectors. Its consolidated crude steelmaking capacity stands at 24 mln tons per year.
