POSCO to Develop Materials for Next-Generation High-Speed Train 'Hyperloop'

Signing of Business and Technology Agreement with 'Tata Steel Europe'

[Asia Economy Reporter Park So-yeon] POSCO is officially embarking on the development of the next-generation transportation system called the "Hyperloop," known as the "dream eco-friendly train."

On the 6th (local time), POSCO announced on the 8th that it signed an agreement with Tata Steel Europe covering the entire Hyperloop business sector. The two companies will jointly develop dedicated steel materials and structural solutions for the Hyperloop and participate together in global projects.

The Hyperloop is a magnetic levitation high-speed train that can operate at about 1000 km/h inside a low-pressure tube. It was widely introduced by Elon Musk in 2013.

Its energy consumption is about 8% of that of airplanes and 30% of high-speed trains, and since it produces no carbon dioxide or noise, it is emerging as the next-generation eco-friendly transportation.

The key to commercializing the Hyperloop is securing the straightness and stability of the tube for high-speed travel. For this, the materials used must have airtightness, workability, and economic feasibility.

A POSCO official explained, "Steel is evaluated as the most suitable material for the Hyperloop because, compared to other materials, it excels in airtightness to maintain internal pressure in a vacuum state for a long time and in precise workability at tube joints."

POSCO and Tata Steel Europe propose a giant steel tube about 3.5 meters in diameter as a solution to secure the performance and stability of the Hyperloop, and plan to develop customized steel materials and innovative tube designs.

Furthermore, they plan to participate together in global Hyperloop projects underway in Europe and expand cooperation with companies related to the Hyperloop.

POSCO holds numerous dedicated steel materials and utilization technology solutions for the Hyperloop, and Tata Steel Europe has strengths in tube structural technology, so the two companies expect to create synergy.

The Tata Steel Group is a global steel company with an annual crude steel production capacity of 34 million tons, and Tata Steel Europe has manufacturing plants across Europe supplying steel products to demand industries such as automotive, construction, and infrastructure.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.