Greenate Steel comprises a range of low-carbon steel products designed to reduce carbon emissions. These products either leverage low-carbon raw materials, energy sources and processes in steel production or incorporate strategies to minimize carbon during product use and disposal. Committed to pioneering carbon neutrality in the global steel domain, POSCO is dedicated to implementing its 2050 Carbon Neutrality Roadmap. As part of its commitment to aiding its customers and the broader society in decarbonization, POSCO plans to introduce three distinct Greenate Steel products. Moreover, to address the diverse requirements of its clientele and society, POSCO will complement its existing product lines — INNOVILT, e Autopos, and Greenable — with an assortment of low-carbon offerings, pushing further towards a greener society.

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In June 2023, POSCO became the first Korean company to launch a mass balance type (carbon reduction amount allocation type) product, named Greenate certified steel^TM. This product seeks to reduce overall carbon emissions. It achieves this by redistributing the carbon savings made through various measures, such as the adoption of low-carbon processes and technologies, to specific products. These products undergo verification and authorization by an independent third-party agency. Aiming to decrease the use of fossil fuels in its production processes, POSCO has ramped up the usage of pellets in its furnaces and incorporated more scrap in its electric arc furnace. The third-party certification agency, DNV, undertakes on-site evaluations to assess the carbon-reducing methods, the exact amount of carbon reduction, and its allocation. DNV ensures that the carbon reductions in POSCO’s procedures are genuine.
The mass balance approach, which assigns carbon reduction values to specific steel products, adheres to the GHG Protocol, the most widely recognized standard for greenhouse gas emissions. This method has been adopted by global steel manufacturers in Europe and Japan, ensuring compliance with the ISO 22095 standard.
When customers purchase Greenate certified steel^TM products, they receive a product assurance report. This report vouches for the product’s legitimacy and verification by DNV. Furthermore, buyers get a purchase certificate from POSCO, detailing the product’s specifics, related data, and information on carbon reduction. This certificate can also serve as supplementary material when reporting carbon reduction figures in Scope 3 (carbon emissions from raw materials) calculations.
From January to August 2022, POSCO achieved a significant reduction in carbon emissions—590,000 tons less than the same period in 2021. This accomplishment allows the company to produce between 200,000 to 300,000 tons of Greenate certified steel^TM. Additionally, POSCO is considering evaluations for further carbon reduction in the future.

In 2026, POSCO aims to launch the Greenate carbon reduced steel^TM (EAF type), processed using an electric arc furnace. By 2030, the company plans to introduce the Greenate carbon reduced steel^TM (HyREX type), which will employ the hydrogen reduction ironmaking technology known as HyREX.
The Greenate carbon reduced steel^TM (EAF type) will be produced using an electric arc furnace, set to be constructed in the Gwangyang steel works by the end of 2025. This steel variant will achieve carbon reduction either through steel melted solely by the electric arc furnace or a hybrid method. The hybrid method involves mixing molten steel produced in electric arc furnace with molten iron from existing blast furnaces. The Gwangyang works boasts an efficient process layout from raw material procurement to product delivery, making it ideal for this hybrid production. Meanwhile, POSCO’s extensive expertise in managing electric arc furnaces and mixing hot metal gives it a distinct competitive advantage. Incorporating hot metal with the aim of achieving a 30% reduction in carbon emissions per ton of product could potentially enable the production of the products currently made at the Gwangyang steel works. Moreover, by altering the hot metal mix ratio and catering to various customer needs for carbon reduction and enhanced steel quality, products can be produced with a carbon reduction of up to 75%.
As for the Greenate carbon reduced steel^TM (HyREX type), its introduction is set to coincide with the commercial rollout of the HyREX technology. A test facility of the hydrogen reduction ironmaking technology, HyREX, is slated for construction at the Pohang steel works in 2026. The full commercialization of this technology is targeted for completion by 2030. Following this, existing equipment will undergo a phased transformation to incorporate the hydrogen reduction ironmaking method.