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| 포스코홀딩스. (사진=연합뉴스) |
[Alpha Biz= Reporter Kim Minyoung] In 2021, POSCO Holdings established POSCO Pilbara Lithium Solutions in partnership with Australian mining developer Pilbara Minerals, with an 82:18 ownership ratio.
In November last year, they completed the construction of the first plant with a capacity of 21,500 tons, and the second plant nearby is expected to be completed by September this year. The combined lithium hydroxide production capacity of the two plants will be 43,000 tons annually, sufficient for approximately 1 million electric vehicles.
This achievement marks POSCO's localization of lithium hydroxide production, which had previously relied entirely on imports. Lee Bok-hyung, the head of strategic planning at POSCO Pilbara Lithium Solutions, stated, “Since the raw materials are secured in Australia and processed in Korea, the entire production process occurs within countries that have free trade agreements (FTA) with the United States, making it eligible for benefits under the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).”
POSCO has built the world's only full value chain encompassing the acquisition of key secondary battery materials such as lithium and nickel, production of cathode and anode materials, and recycling of used batteries.
In Gwangyang Yulchon Industrial Complex, there is a concentration of facilities, including POSCO Future M’s cathode material plant, POSCO Pilbara Lithium Solutions’ lithium hydroxide plant for secondary batteries, and POSCO HY Clean Metal’s recycling plant for extracting essential minerals from used batteries, thereby completing an eco-friendly resource circulation system.
POSCO is also dedicating efforts to leading carbon-free steel production technology in its core steel industry.
Alphabiz Kim Minyoung (kimmy@alphabiz.co.kr)
