Steelmaker POSCO establishes C-free/low-C power generation mix
However, is it possible to stably supply green energy only with renewable energy? The fundamental reason that stable electricity supply and demand is important from the position of the steel industry is that steel works operate 24 hours a day.
However, renewable energy generation, which can supply power only under limited conditions, has some limitations in stably supplying power to steel works that operates non-stop for 24 hours.
In the case of solar power generation, Korea can generate power only for an average of 3.2 hours per day due to the geopolitical nature. In particular, unlike countries located near the equator, if the amount of sunlight is not constant and the sun does not shine for a long time due to bad weather such as the rainy season or typhoon, there is a risk of unstable power supply and demand.
In the case of wind power generation, the industry assesses that in general, economic power generation is possible only when a wind of 7 m/s or more rises. However, in Korea, where there are many mountain ranges, the blowing wind is often blocked, and unlike the European North Sea or inland regions in Asia where there are no typhoons, the southwest sea, which is the main movement path of typhoons, is unstable because there is a risk of blade damage because of strong winds.
Accordingly, for stable power supply of steel works, POSCO is simultaneously reviewing renewable energy power generation and carbon-free power generation using hydrogen/ammonia.
