For the first time in the domestic steel industry, Hyundai Steel has newly acquired GR (Good Recycled Product) certification for steel and steel bar products from Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS) under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
Hyundai Steel produces more than 10 million tons of steel and steel bars annually as the main material of iron scraps that become waste if not recycled through electric furnaces. Iron scraps are environmentally friendly with relatively low CO2 and waste emissions compared to other steel materials such as iron ore and coal.
Hyundai Steel obtained GR certification in recognition of its eco-friendliness in that it produces products through recycling of iron scraps and received a certificate on Aug. 4.
Hyundai Steel is the nation's largest and first electric furnace steel manufacturer, and has the best technology in the electric furnace field.
In 2013, the company completed the construction of an integrated steel mill with the construction of three furnaces at Dangjin Steelworks, establishing a resource-circulating steel mill for the first time in the industry.
The GR certification system was introduced in Korea in 1997 for the first time in the world and is a system that certifies the quality of excellent recycled products.
It is designed to expand the demand by the government to certify high-quality recycled products through the development of green technology for recycling of resources.
Also, not only the Incheon plant, which has been certified this time, but also Pohang and Dangjin's steel and steel bar products are currently under review.
It also plans to push for certification of SHN (Steel H-Beam New) and SHP (Steel H-Pile) in the second half of the year.
"With this certification, Hyundai Steel will be recognized for its excellent resource recycling and eco-friendliness," a Hyundai Steel official said. "We will contribute to the expansion of the government's low-carbon green growth and resource recycling policies through the GR-certified steel products."
Hyundai Steel, meanwhile, became the first electric furnace maker in the domestic industry to obtain certification from the Ministry of Environment in Korea and the UL Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for steel and steel bar products.
