New Production Plant for 'Rust-Free Steel' Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic Material Riva Established in Ulsan

Ulsan City and KCMT Sign MOU for 43.8 Billion KRW Investment in Energy Convergence Industrial Complex

Ulsan City Hall.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] A production plant for Riva, a fiberglass-reinforced plastic material known as "rust-free steel," will be established in Ulsan.

On the 6th at 10 a.m., Ulsan City and KCMT will sign a memorandum of understanding at the city hall for investment in the establishment of a "Riva fiberglass-reinforced plastic material production plant."

KCMT will invest in the construction of a Riva production facility within the Ulsan Energy Convergence Industrial Complex to contribute to job creation, and Ulsan City will support the smooth progress of the investment.

KCMT will invest 43.8 billion KRW to build a Riva production plant on a land area of 37,377㎡ and a total floor area of 25,520㎡ in Seosaeng-myeon, Ulju-gun, within the Energy Convergence Industrial Complex. Construction is scheduled to begin in the first half of 2022 and be completed in the second half of 2023.

Fiberglass-reinforced plastic is plastic reinforced with glass fibers; compared to steel, it weighs about one-quarter but has more than twice the strength, does not rust, has no thermal deformation, and is easy to process.

Internationally, it has been used for over ten years in construction and civil engineering materials, automobile and aircraft parts, safety helmets, and is expected to see steady demand in new industries such as wind energy, electronics, and transportation.

KCMT commercialized the fiberglass-reinforced plastic material "Riva," which uses resin with the styrene monomer removed, significantly improving adhesion strength, making it the world's first.

Based on its technological capabilities, KCMT plans to produce Riva at its Ulsan factory, aiming to replace widely used steel rebar in the construction sector.

Compared to the steel rebar manufacturing process, CO2 emissions are reduced by more than 40%, and it uses raw materials recycled from waste PET, making it environmentally friendly. This enables ESG management through resource circulation.

An industry official stated, "With China strengthening carbon emissions regulations, steel production cuts and export restrictions are expected to raise rebar prices. Our product uses recycled waste PET to secure raw materials stably and has better productivity, making it more price competitive than rebar."

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