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Aerial view of POSCO Group's integrated exhibition pavilion at World Climate Industry EXPO. / POSCO Group

POSCO Group is showcasing its decarbonized steelmaking technologies, including hydrogen-based direct reduction, alongside its carbon-free energy business capabilities in a single venue. The group will also unveil its blueprint for the "K-GX ecosystem," aimed at transforming the southeastern region of South Korea into a decarbonized industrial cluster centered on its HyREX demonstration facilities.

On the 14th, POSCO Group announced that it will participate in the 2026 World Climate Industry EXPO held from the 16th to the 18th at BEXCO in Busan.

The World Climate Industry EXPO is an international forum designed to address the climate crisis and explore low-carbon transitions. This year, the event takes place under the theme: "Giant Leaps Driven by Climate Tech, Towards a Decarbonized World."

Marking its sixth appearance at the event, POSCO Group will operate an integrated exhibition pavilion bringing together four affiliates—POSCO Holdings, POSCO, POSCO International, and POSCO E&C—under the theme: "POSCO Opens the K-GX Ecosystem with Decarbonized Steel."

The pavilion consists of four distinct zones: Decarbonization Innovations, Core Materials, Carbon-Free Energy, and the K-GX Ecosystem.

In the Decarbonization Innovations zone, the company highlights technologies aimed at reducing carbon emissions across the steelmaking process, focusing on POSCO's proprietary hydrogen-based reduction technology HyREX, blast furnace-based carbon reduction methods, and electric arc furnaces.

HyREX is a technology that uses hydrogen rather than coal to reduce iron ore. POSCO plans to complete a HyREX demonstration facility with an annual capacity of 300,000 tons in Pohang by 2028, aiming to secure commercialization technology by 2030.

The exhibit also highlights the vital role steel plays in the transition toward artificial intelligence (AI) and clean energy. In the Core Materials zone, the group showcases steel products utilized in energy storage systems (ESS), data centers, physical AI, emerging mobility, and power grid infrastructure.

POSCO International and POSCO E&C present the group's extensive energy business capabilities. POSCO International features its domestic offshore wind and solar power projects alongside overseas renewable energy operations, while POSCO E&C highlights its engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) capabilities across next-generation energy sectors, including nuclear power plants, small modular reactors (SMRs), and high-temperature gas-cooled reactors.

A key highlight emphasized by POSCO Group during this exhibition is the "K-GX ecosystem." The concept envisions establishing the broader southeastern region as a decarbonized industrial cluster linked to the HyREX demonstration plant, seamlessly connecting steel with related sectors such as energy and hydrogen.

POSCO Group anticipates that the southeastern region, bolstered by carbon-free power infrastructure including nuclear energy, can effectively link clean hydrogen production via water electrolysis directly to hydrogen-based steelmaking.

Moving forward, the group plans to secure commercialization technology for HyREX in alignment with government decarbonization policies, while developing the southeastern cluster into a benchmark K-GX industrial ecosystem that supports emissions reductions across the broader manufacturing industry.

                                                                                                                Kim Yu-ra