Pohang's Aging Steel Industrial Complex Accelerates Major Transformation into Smart and Eco-Friendly Industrial Complex

Pohang City is accelerating the promotion of the ‘Industrial Complex Grand Renovation Project’ to transform the aging Pohang Steel Industrial Complex into a smart and eco-friendly industrial complex.

Pohang Steel Industrial Complex.

Since the industrial complex renovation project was finally selected in the 2022 public contest, the city has secured a project budget of 150.7 billion KRW and is intensifying efforts to discover new projects and secure additional funding this year.

The renovation project, centered on the Pohang steel complex and linked with Gyeongju and Yeongcheon, has been actively pursued since 2023 and has now entered its second year.

Due to the Pohang Steel Industrial Complex being established several decades ago, it has faced difficulties such as aging industrial facilities, an industry distribution heavily concentrated in traditional steel manufacturing, and a lack of infrastructure like convenience facilities for workers.

Moreover, as nationwide attention and importance regarding major accidents and safety within industrial complexes have increased, urgent measures are needed to achieve decarbonization, low-carbonization, digitalization, and safety assurance.

In response, Pohang City has actively participated in the industrial complex renovation project contest to cope with the rapidly changing industrial environment, confirming and promoting eight projects worth 150.7 billion KRW, including ▲aging industrial complex regeneration projects ▲integrated control center construction projects △stormwater pump station expansion and pipeline maintenance projects ▲smart manufacturing advanced workforce training projects ▲infrastructure reinforcement projects.

Especially this year, newly added projects such as ▲energy self-sufficiency infrastructure construction and ▲process innovation simulation center construction aim to secure national funding and attract private investment, thereby improving industrial complex operational efficiency, environmental improvement, and industry advancement as a foundation to enhance productivity and safety of the complex and improve workers’ labor conditions.

Additionally, the city plans to establish communication channels with related organizations such as Gyeongbuk Province, Korea Industrial Complex Corporation Pohang Branch, Pohang Smart Green Industrial Complex Project Group, Pohang Technopark, and Pohang Metal Materials Industry Promotion Agency to monitor project progress, discover new projects, and strive for successful project implementation through continuous collaboration.

Mayor Lee Kang-deok stated, “We will devote ourselves to resolving chronic issues such as safety, transportation, and environment by expanding smart and digital infrastructure in the aging steel industrial complex, and to strengthening the competitiveness of the stagnant steel industry and promoting regional economic development.”

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