The company said 8CGL will be connected to its new electric arc furnace (EAF) and serve as a key production hub for green automotive steel sheets. It will feature an ultrahigh-temperature heat treatment system for EAF-based steel sheets. It will expand production to include extra-wide automotive steel sheets used in the exterior panels of midsize and larger SUVs and recreational vehicles. 

“By establishing a POSCO-developed facility specialized in automotive steel sheets — one capable of producing next-generation, high-quality products with enhanced cost and technological competitiveness — we will further reinforce POSCO’s technological leadership in the global market,” said Lee Hee Geun, president of POSCO. 

POSCO said it will deploy AI technologies to analyze material, process and quality data in real time and control the equipment. It will also use AI and robotics for high-risk tasks including removing impurities from molten zinc and collecting samples. 

The 8CGL can process 450,000 metric tons annually, bringing POSCO’s annual hot-dip galvanized steel sheet production capacity to 4.95 million metric tons annually. 

The line is scheduled for completion in 2028, the company said.