S. Korea's POSCO, Hyundai to use oyster shell waste for steelmaking

S. Korean steelmakers POSCO and Hyundai Steel Co. will start using oyster shells as a secondary base material for producing steel.

Both firms have been developing a recycling technology with a local oyster shell processing company.

Oyster shell substances are similar to the limestone used for sintering, which refers to a phase in steel production when powdered iron ore is processed before being injected into a furnace.

According to the steel-producing industry, a supply of some 920,000 tons of oyster shell waste into steel production will reduce CO2 emissions by up to 410,000 tons.

POSCO Chemical Co., an affiliate of POSCO, also developed technology that replaces limestone with oyster shells during the steelmaking process where impurities are filtered from molten metal before it is made into steel.