OREANDA-NEWS. June 21, 2013. POSCO has presented a plan to reduce electric power consumption in response to this summer`s electric power emergency state, leading efforts in electric power usage reduction to overcome the national power shortage.

POSCO is partially stopping or lowering operation rates of electric furnaces, which are easier to adjust in terms of operation rates compared to blast furnaces, thus steeply reducing the amount of electric power usage.

Accordingly, the operation rates of Pohang Steelworks` stainless plant and Gwangyang Steelworks` high mill plant where electric furnaces are used will be adjusted, maximally reducing operations in August when summer electric power consumption is at its highest, reducing electric power use of up to 130,000.

POSCO Specialty Steel will also alternately operate its two electric furnaces, and carry out maintenance which was originally scheduled for October in August, reducing electricity usage by 50,000.

Also, regular maintenance of the POSCO Steelworks electric steel plate and steel plate plant scheduled for the second half of the year will be carried out in August, reducing 20,000 of electric usage during the maintenance period when the facility will not be in operation, and Gwangyang Steelworks will stop operation of parts of its oxygen plant to secure another 20,000 of electricity.

In addition, the steelworks byproduct case facility maintenance will be pushed back to the second half, and the LNG compound electric power development will be placed in maximum operation to secure an additional 160,000? of electricity. POSCO has been self-generating 70% of electric power used internally by utilizing by-product gas produced in the steelmaking process.

With the adjustment in operating rates, the shortfall of melted iron will be provided by the recently completed Gwangyang Steelworks Furnace 1 to minimize loss.

With this energy reduction plan, POSCO will secure a monthly maximum of 380,000?, which is equivalent to a month of usage of 1 million homes, and approximately half of the electric power generation ability of the Shinwolseong 1 nuclear power plant which recently stopped operation. Also, the amount of electric power received from KEPCO will be reduced by more than 50%, which is much higher than the industry maximum goal of 15%.

Meanwhile, POSCO has been carrying out various energy reduction activities in everyday life.

Factory and office temperatures in the summer are maintained at 26~28?, with a relatively free dress code for personal comfort, and jackets are recommended to be removed even during formal meetings.