POSCO Supplies Dedicated Steel to World's First Hyperloop Center

Maximum Instantaneous Speed 100km/h... Vibration Reduction Capability Proven
Focus on Driving Performance, System Control, and Safety Testing

POSCO supplied dedicated steel for the hyperloop, a future transportation mode attracting attention.

On the 9th (local time), POSCO announced on the 10th that it attended the completion ceremony of the 'Hyperloop EHC (Phase A)' test line held by Hartsa in Veldam, the Netherlands. About 300 people attended the event, including Jens Geiseke, Member of the European Parliament, Prince Konstantijn van Oranje of the Netherlands, I?igo Cruz Mart?nez, Policy Officer of the European Union Transport Authority, Bertrand van Hartsa, CEO of Hartsa, and EHC partner companies.

Appearance of the European Hyperloop Center test line (Source: Hart)

EHC (European Hyperloop Center) is a sub-project of the HDP (Hyperloop Development Program), a national project for hyperloop development carried out by Hartsa and the Dutch government. It is equipped with test lines and research facilities to promote hyperloop standardization and technology demonstration within the EU.

The hyperloop test line (Phase A) being completed this time has a diameter of 2.5m and a length of 450m. It will focus on testing acceleration and deceleration during test runs (with a maximum instantaneous speed of 100 km/h), precise control of branching sections, and passenger safety.

POSCO’s Steel Research Institute, Steel Solution Research Institute, and Marketing Headquarters collaborated to participate in the entire process from EHC design to production, supplying 352 tons of 'PosLoop 355 steel,' which is 27% lighter than the existing Hartsa design, for the test line section. This is the world's first specialized steel for hyperloop tubes, with vibration damping performance 1.7 times that of ordinary steel during high-speed driving and excellent seismic performance.

Additionally, the test line was designed to allow branching tests during high-speed runs, where 123 tons of POSCO’s premium heavy plate steel was applied, resulting in POSCO steel being used throughout the entire hyperloop section.

Hartsa plans to additionally construct a test line section (Phase B) of 2.7 km by 2027 to conduct driving and safety performance checks at a maximum instantaneous speed of 700 km/h. POSCO will continue multifaceted cooperation by applying specialized steel and differentiated tube structures to the main and branching sections of the additional test line.

Appearance of the European Hyperloop Center test line (Source: Hart)

POSCO International also invested in Hartsa as part of its global new business development in 2022, holding a 6.1% stake and securing steel supply rights. Last year, it signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Hartsa and is jointly developing projects in Europe and the Middle East.

Commercial hyperloop tube steel requires about 2,000 tons per kilometer, and with hyperloop construction expected to reach a total of 25,000 km in Europe alone by 2050, the potential market is very large. POSCO and POSCO International will continue joint promotional activities to ensure POSCO steel is used in global hyperloop test line projects.

Lim Gyu-hwan, Head of POSCO Hot Rolled Steel Marketing Office, said, "In a future where carbon neutrality is realized, intercontinental travel will be handled by airplanes and ships, but travel between megacity-level cities will be handled by hyperloop, which excels in energy efficiency and transport speed. We will thoroughly prepare for the new steel demand required for future transportation modes at the group level."

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