Environmental Group Opposes Renovation of No. 2 Blast Furnace at Gwangyang Steelworks

"Extending by 15 Years Undermines Carbon Neutrality"
...Lawsuit Filed

Recently, environmental groups and local youth have strongly opposed the renovation work on the No. 2 blast furnace at POSCO's Gwangyang Steelworks.

The Korean Federation for Environmental Movement and youth living near the steelworks filed a lawsuit on the 28th, claiming that the renovation of the blast furnace would cause massive carbon emissions, thereby infringing on the environmental and life rights of future generations. They demanded an immediate halt to the renovation work.

The Korea Federation for Environmental Movements and teenagers living near steelworks filed a lawsuit demanding the suspension of blast furnace modification work, arguing that the massive carbon emissions caused by the modifications infringe upon the environmental and life rights of future generations. Photo by Pohang Gwangyang Federation for Environmental Movements

Organizations such as the Korean Federation for Environmental Movement criticized POSCO for accelerating climate change and undermining the feasibility of its carbon neutrality roadmap by extending the lifespan of the aging No. 2 blast furnace by 15 years. They urged POSCO to stop prolonging the operation of coal-based blast furnaces and focus on transitioning to low-carbon steel production technologies such as hydrogen-based reduction steelmaking.

In this context, local youth and environmental groups argued that POSCO's blast furnace renovation goes against international efforts to address the climate crisis and infringes on the rights of future generations. They also demanded that Gwangyang Steelworks halt the renovation and shift to low-carbon production methods.

Meanwhile, POSCO stated that producing high-quality steel products is limited with electric furnaces alone, and that hydrogen-based reduction steelmaking technology has not yet been commercialized. The company added that it is currently implementing its '2050 Carbon Neutrality Roadmap' and plans to develop commercial hydrogen-based reduction steelmaking technology by 2030 to gradually convert its blast furnaces.

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