POSCO, Plans to Establish Maintenance Specialized Subsidiary

Published 20 Mar.2023 15:59(KST)

Strengthening Equipment Competitiveness and Safety

Establishment of Specialized Maintenance Subsidiaries in Mechanical and Electrical Fields in Pohang and Gwangyang

POSCO is promoting the establishment of a maintenance-specialized subsidiary to strengthen the robustness of facilities, which is the foundation of its steel competitiveness.

Currently, when POSCO establishes maintenance plans for steel mill facilities, contracted partner companies perform the maintenance work. In the future, a large-scale maintenance-specialized subsidiary will carry out safer and more systematic maintenance activities.

[Photo by POSCO]

Recently, the steel industry is undergoing a rapid paradigm shift with the establishment of smart factories and the introduction of low-carbon steelmaking processes. POSCO judged that strengthening facility competitiveness and securing expertise, which are the foundation of steel manufacturing, are essential, leading to the promotion of the subsidiary establishment.

In particular, during the restoration process of the Pohang Steelworks facilities severely damaged by flooding caused by the Cold Stream overflow accident in September last year, the importance and urgency of establishing a systematic maintenance system and improving maintenance technology were re-recognized.

Global major steelmakers also operate maintenance subsidiaries to ensure stable operations without facility failures, emphasizing the acquisition of maintenance expertise such as enhancing facility engineering technology and facility management capabilities every year.

POSCO plans to operate maintenance subsidiaries to enhance maintenance technology for large-scale steel mill facilities, enabling comprehensive maintenance services such as extending facility lifespan and improving performance, and plans to expand business areas to POSCO’s overseas sites in the future.

Additionally, the maintenance subsidiaries will have dedicated safety and health organizations to create a safer working environment.

The newly established maintenance subsidiaries will expand investments in safety infrastructure and conduct systematic training to improve employee safety management levels, thoroughly preventing industrial accidents.

POSCO plans to establish multiple mechanical and electrical maintenance subsidiaries by steelmaking process units in the Pohang and Gwangyang regions around June. Existing partner companies wishing to participate can join the POSCO maintenance subsidiaries.

Subsidiary employees will be recruited through an open recruitment process, and employees currently performing the relevant maintenance work at partner companies will be given priority for hiring as POSCO maintenance subsidiary employees.

To provide growth opportunities for employees, maintenance technology training will be conducted utilizing various educational facilities and curricula owned by the POSCO Group, such as the POSCO Human Resources Development Institute.

By establishing subsidiaries in the Pohang and Gwangyang regions, POSCO expects to expand quality jobs in local communities, increase population through the influx and settlement of young talent, and stimulate economic revitalization.