POSCO Completes Korea's Largest EAF to Advance Green Steel

POSCO Holdings Inc. PKX is accelerating its transition toward low-carbon steelmaking with the completion of South Korea’s largest electric arc furnace (EAF) at its Gwangyang Steelworks. The newly completed facility represents a major milestone in the company’s decarbonization strategy and its long-term goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. The new EAF has an annual production capacity of 2.5 million tons of steel and was built with an investment of approximately KRW 600 billion (roughly $397 million). Construction began in February 2024 and took more than two years to complete. The facility will now serve as a cornerstone of POSCO’s low-carbon steel production system. Unlike traditional blast furnaces that depend on iron ore and coking coal, EAFs mainly use recycled steel scrap, reducing energy use and emissions. POSCO estimates the Gwangyang EAF can cut carbon emissions by up to 75% versus conventional steelmaking. POSCO is going beyond scrap-based steelmaking by developing its proprietary “Haptang” (hot metal mixing) technology, which blends molten iron from blast furnaces with steel produced in electric arc furnaces. The process is designed to maintain the quality standards required for premium steel products while reducing carbon emissions. Through this hybrid approach, PKX aims to mass-produce high-value products, including automotive steel sheets and electrical steel, by 2030. The EAF project forms part of POSCO’s broader decarbonization roadmap. The company views electric arc furnace technology as an important intermediate step toward its next-generation HyREX hydrogen-reduction steelmaking process, which is expected to play a central role in its long-term carbon-neutral production system. POSCO ultimately plans to transition from coal-based steelmaking toward hydrogen-based ironmaking and establish a fully decarbonized production structure by 2050. Per POSCO, the completion of the Gwangyang EAF represents a key milestone in advancing low-carbon steel production and reflects POSCO’s commitment to a decarbonized manufacturing model. The company noted that the facility will help meet rising global demand for sustainable steel products while enhancing its competitive position in the transition to a low-carbon economy. Shares of PKX have gained 8.5% in the past year against the industry’s 2.4% decline. Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchPKX Zacks Rank & Other Key PicksPKX currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).Other top-ranked stocks in the Conglomerates space include 3M Company MMM, Marubeni Corporation MARUY and Griffon Corporation GFF. ITT, MARUY and GFF carry a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MMM’s current-year earnings is pegged at $8.71 per share, indicating an 8.1% year-over-year increase. Its earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average earnings surprise being 4.6%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MARUY’s current-year earnings is pegged at $23.86 per share, indicating an 8.8% year-over-year decrease. Shares of MARUY have gained 48.7% over the past year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for GFF’s current fiscal-year earnings is pegged at $5.17 per share. Its earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters and missed once, with the average earnings surprise being 3.3%. 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 DaysJust released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers "Most Likely for Early Price Pops."Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +23.7% per year. So be sure to give these hand picked 7 your immediate attention. See them now >>This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks