POSCO completes construction of EV drive motor core plant in Poland

South Korean steelmaker POSCO International has completed the European base for its global EV market strategy, building a drive motor core plant in Brzeg, Poland.

The facility, in which the company invested a total of 94.1 billion won, is 100,000 square meters in size and has started trial production before entering full-scale mass production in December. The plant has an annual production capacity of 1.2 million units, targeting growing demand for EVs in Europe.

The completion of the Polish plant establishes three production belts spanning Asia, North America and Europe. The company aims to achieve a 10% global market share by 2030.

South Korea automakers Hyundai and Kia are accelerating their local EVs production projects in Europe, which is expected to further increase demand for drive motor cores, POSCO noted.

POSCO plans to build a production system capable of producing 7.5 million units annually by 2030, including 2.5 million units in Pohang and Cheonan in South Korea, 3.5 million in Mexico, 1.2 million in Poland and 300,000 in India. This will support its Local to Local strategy of producing and supplying directly to customers for faster market response.

POSCO’s drive motor cores use its EMFree technology, which is applied to POSCO Group’s non-oriented electrical steel (Hyper NO). EMFree technology, which applies a small amount of adhesive and laminates layers, improves energy efficiency and minimizes noise and vibration compared to the existing EMBO method, which connects protrusions to bond the steel, according to the company. This technology simultaneously enhances EV driving range and quietness.

POSCO Group has linked the new drive motor core plant with its Polish steel processing centers in Europe to establish an integrated supply system for high-efficiency electrical steel-based drive motor cores and high-quality steel materials.

POSCO International has already secured orders for 35 million drive motor cores through 2033. The Polish plant will begin with the 1.68 million units planned for production in Europe by Hyundai and Kia Motors and will expand its supply base to European automakers such as Volkswagen.

“The Donggu Motor Core Poland plant is a key base for us to dominate the European EV market,” said POSCO International President Lee Kye-in. “POSCO Group will lead the future mobility market based on its integrated capabilities at the group level, including EV steel, battery materials, and parts.”

Source: POSCO International