10 industry, academic and research bodies join effort

High-efficiency 6.5% silicon electrical steel among targets

Participants pose for a photo at the kickoff meeting for next-generation electrical steel technology development held Thursday at the Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology in Pohang, with Posco leading a consortium of 10 industry, academic and research institutions including Hyundai Motor Co. [Posco]
Participants pose for a photo at the kickoff meeting for next-generation electrical steel technology development held Thursday at the Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology in Pohang, with Posco leading a consortium of 10 industry, academic and research institutions including Hyundai Motor Co. [Posco]

Posco is joining forces with Hyundai Motor Co. and other partners to develop next-generation electrical steel aimed at improving the energy efficiency of electric vehicles.

The steelmaker held a kickoff meeting Thursday at the Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology in Pohang to launch a joint research and development project focused on manufacturing wide-width electrical steel with 6.5 percent silicon content and developing core and drive motor technologies to improve EV energy efficiency.

The project is part of the "Specialized Steel Sheet Technology Development for Core Automotive Components" program, backed by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Korea Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology. Posco leads the effort as the principal research institution, with nine other organizations participating — including Hyundai Motor Co., SL Corp. and Pole Fair Electric among industry partners, and RIST, the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, the Korea Automotive Technology Institute, Ulsan University, Pukyong National University and the Korea Metal Materials Research Association.

The core objective is to secure manufacturing technology for wide-width electrical steel with 6.5 percent silicon content — a key material for high-efficiency EV motors — and to verify its effectiveness in improving energy efficiency when applied to actual EV drive motors.

Higher silicon content in electrical steel reduces power loss, known as iron loss, during high-speed rotation, boosting motor efficiency. However, as silicon content increases, the material becomes more brittle, making it difficult to produce and process into thin, wide sheet form.

"This collaboration marks an important turning point for the steel and future mobility industries as they together usher in the era of electric energy," said Jo Myeong-jong, head of Posco's Future Steel Research Laboratory. "We will concentrate our capabilities on developing high-value-added advanced materials and component technologies that improve energy efficiency, and maximize synergies across industry, academia and research."

Posco and its partners plan to use the project to overcome these technical challenges and standardize mass production processes for wide-width electrical steel. At Thursday's kickoff meeting, the participating institutions also signed an MOU, pledging to collaborate on integrated research spanning the entire process — from materials development through core fabrication to drive motor manufacturing.


eyre@heraldcorp.com