A major step toward lower-carbon steelmaking through the integration of advanced EAF technology with existing blast furnace operations.
POSCO has officially inaugurated South Korea's largest Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) at its Gwangyang Steelworks, marking a significant milestone in the steel industry's decarbonization journey. The new 2.5 million-tonne-per-year facility represents one of the country's most important investments in sustainable steel production.
At the heart of the project is a Tenova Electric Arc Furnace equipped with the patented Consteel® continuous scrap charging and preheating system and Consterrer®, the electromagnetic stirring technology jointly developed with ABB.
A new approach to integrating steelmaking routes
Rather than simply replacing conventional production, the furnace was engineered from the outset to operate alongside POSCO's existing blast furnaces. The solution enables scrap to be melted and its liquid steel safely mixed with hot metal, allowing Electric Arc Furnace production to be integrated into an existing blast furnace route while maintaining the stringent quality standards required for premium automotive and electrical steels.
This integrated approach allows steelmakers to progressively introduce lower-carbon production without disrupting existing operations, offering a practical and scalable pathway toward carbon-neutral steelmaking.
Supporting decarbonization
According to POSCO, the new facility is expected to reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 75% compared with the conventional blast furnace route, equivalent to approximately 3.5 million tonnes of CO₂ annually at full production capacity.
The project demonstrates how advanced EAF technologies can help steel producers accelerate their sustainability ambitions while preserving productivity, product quality, and operational flexibility.
Tenova is proud to have contributed to this landmark achievement and congratulates POSCO and all project partners on the successful completion of the facility.
Commercial Director Electric Arc & Ladle Furnace
Every breakthrough starts with a customer's challenge. Working closely with POSCO, we developed a solution specifically engineered to meet their production objectives while supporting their decarbonization roadmap. The result is an innovative EAF configuration that demonstrates how close collaboration can transform ambitious goals into practical engineering solutions.
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