South Korea: POSCO and Hyundai Steel plan maintenances in Q4 CY’25

• Supply side to get impacted; South Korean imports might rise in Q4CY’25
• Maintenance to focus on streamlining, improving operational efficiency

South Korea’s two steel giants – POSCO and Hyundai Steel are likely to conduct stringent regular maintenance across their facilities in the fourth quarter (Q4) of calendar year (CY) 2025. The maintenance runs are particularly targeted towards their hot and cold rolling mills.

1. POSCO’s maintenance plans

Gwangyang Hot Rolling Mill No. 2: Approximately 18 days of regular maintenance are scheduled from mid- to late-October through the end of October. It is the first major maintenance event for Q4.

Gwangyang Hot Rolling Mill No. 1: Plant operations will be affected due to maintenance and streamlining purposes for about a month and a half, from early November to mid-to-late December. This mill has the highest annual capacity at 6.2 million tonnes (mnt) among POSCO’s hot rolling mills.

Gwangyang Cold Rolling mills: Major repairs are planned for two weeks starting in early November for its POLs 1, 2 and 4 sites.

Gwangyang Cold Rolling Plant 1: Major maintenance lasting 20 days is scheduled from early to late November.

Gwangyang Cold Rolling Plant 4: Maintenance for approximately 40 days is planned from mid-November to mid-to-late December.

Pohang Iron and Steel 3CAL and CGL facilities: Maintenance is scheduled for four days starting in early November, focusing on key steel processing equipment.

Pohang Plate Mill No. 3: Major maintenance is also planned, though details on duration have not been specified.

FINEX 3 Plant: Partial renovations continue on the melting furnace and auxiliary equipment. Originally due by the end of September, the project is delayed by 50-60 days, with completion expected in early December.

FINEX Plant 2: It is under industry review for potential shutdown due to maintenance costs, productivity, and profitability. A final decision will follow the completion of FINEX 3 renovations.

Dangjin Steelworks Hot Rolling Mill No. 2: Major repairs are scheduled for six days in October.

Dangjin Steelworks Cold Rolling Plant No. 2: The facility, which handles automotive-related steel products, will undergo 13 days of maintenance starting in October.

Dangjin Steelworks Hot Rolling Mill No. 1: Maintenance is planned for nine days in November.

Dangjin Steelworks Thick Plate Mill No. 2: Seven days of maintenance is scheduled in November.

2. Hyundai Steel’s maintenance plan

Suncheon Plant: Large-scale maintenance work of around 21 days on PCM and CAL equipment is likely planned. The maintenance period will span from October to November. This plant specialises in automotive exterior steel products.

Outlook
Demand and supply dynamics are likely to get impacted, as the two major steel giants will be undergoing maintenance across their hot and cold-rolling mills. The overlapping of these maintenance runs might open avenues for imports in Q4CY’25 to fill in the supply gap, which is likely to pose challenges for industry participants, especially domestic producers. However, the improved efficiency and streamlining of operations will provide an edge to the South Korean steel giants in the near future.