Dongkuk Steel installs solar power generation facility at Pohang plant

Dongkuk Steel Mill Co., the world's leading manufacturer of color-coated steel, announced on Wednesday that it has installed a 10-megawatt solar power generation facility on the roofs of three buildings at its Pohang plant to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.

The company invested 12.5 billion won ($9.6 million) in the construction of the facility. Through the solar power generation system, Dongkuk Steel Mill expects to produce about 13 GWh of electricity annually, saving 1.5 billion won in electricity bills and reducing carbon emissions by 6,000 tons.

The eco-friendly magnesium alloy-plated steel sheet, GIX, developed by Dongkuk Steel Mill for renewable energy facilities, was used in the construction of the solar power facility, which has seven times better corrosion resistance against snow, wind and saltwater than existing zinc-plated steel products.

In 2020, the company introduced a 13-MW power generation facility at its Dangjin plant after signing a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in hydroelectric and solar power generation with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power.

Dongkuk plans to implement waste heat recovery and gas power generation as part of in-house eco-friendly generation projects to reduce carbon emissions by 10% by 2030.

Write to Kyung-Min Kang at kkm1026@hankyung.com