An exterior view of GS Caltex's lubricant global logistics center. [GS Caltex]
An exterior view of GS Caltex's lubricant global logistics center. [GS Caltex]

GS Caltex said Wednesday it will convert its lubricant global logistics center in Incheon into a fully automated facility to strengthen its lubricant supply chain.

The project is a flagship application of GS Caltex's DAX (Digital & AI Transformation) strategy to its logistics operations.

With supply stability and delivery competitiveness emerging as key factors in the global lubricant market, GS Caltex said it is pursuing the automation to get ahead of rising sales volumes.

The company will introduce a four-way shuttle-type automated storage and retrieval system — the first of its kind at a hazardous-goods warehouse in South Korea — and automate the entire inbound and outbound process at the logistics center starting in early 2027. The system uses shuttles that move in four directions — forward, backward, left and right — within racking structures to automatically store and retrieve pallets. It makes more efficient use of space than conventional single-direction systems, allowing greater volumes to be handled within the same floor area.

The upgrade is expected to expand the center's product capacity from roughly 3,700 pallets to more than 4,600 pallets, an increase of about 24%. Throughput will also rise to 84 pallets per hour, up about 25% from the roughly 67 pallets per hour handled manually under the previous system.

Hyundai Glovis will handle the design of the smart logistics solution and the construction of an integrated control system for the project. The two companies also plan to explore expanding the model to similar logistics environments by combining GS Caltex's expertise in hazardous-goods logistics with Hyundai Glovis's system-building capabilities.

"This collaboration is a pioneering project that demonstrates the applicability of a four-way shuttle-type automated storage and retrieval system in the specialized logistics environment of hazardous goods," a GS Caltex official said. "Building on our close partnership with Hyundai Glovis, we will bring the automated global logistics center into full operation in early 2027 to further enhance productivity and safety."

Meanwhile, GS Caltex is accelerating innovation at its manufacturing sites under the DAX strategy. During a major maintenance overhaul in the first half of 2026, the company deployed a range of AI solutions, including tube-cleaning robots.


yeongdai@heraldcorp.com