Hyundai considers supplying Louisiana steel for Atlas and SpaceX rockets
Hyundai Motor Group is considering the possibility of eventually supplying steel from its planned plant in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, United States, not only for automobiles but also for Atlas humanoid robots and rockets made by companies such as SpaceX. Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun said this after the groundbreaking ceremony for Hyundai-Posco Louisiana Steel, Korea Herald reports.
Chung noted that steel from the facility is expected to be used for Atlas, a humanoid robot developed by Hyundai Motor Group subsidiary Boston Dynamics. He also expressed hope that the plant could eventually supply steel for rockets to companies such as SpaceX.
Plant capacity
The $5.8 billion facility will become Hyundai Steel's first production base in the United States. The project is being jointly implemented by Posco, Hyundai Motor and Kia. Commercial operations at the plant are planned to begin in 2029.
The facility's annual production capacity is expected to amount to 2.7 million metric tons of steel. Of this volume, 1.8 million tons will be automotive steel sheet, while 900,000 tons will be products for other applications.
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According to Chung, the project's priority is to ensure a local supply of high-quality steel for Hyundai Motor Group manufacturing facilities in the United States. He also said that the United States imports approximately 20 million tons of steel annually, about half of which consists of higher-value products, including specialty and low-carbon grades.
Robots in manufacturing
Hyundai Motor Group plans to deploy Atlas robots at its automobile plants in the United States in 2028 and later expand their use to other facilities. At the same time, Chung cautiously assessed the possibility of Atlas working directly at the steel plant in Louisiana: according to him, such an application will first be thoroughly tested.
The group plans to involve robots in tasks that are difficult or dangerous for people in order to improve worker safety. Hyundai Motor Group is also changing its organizational and management structure to deploy technologies faster and is strengthening the development of actuators and grippers for robots.
Chung emphasized that avoiding U.S. tariffs on imported steel, which currently stand at 50%, was not the main purpose of the investment. According to him, more important goals are producing higher-quality products in the United States and improving the quality of automobiles manufactured in the country.
