Korea Zinc highlights resource circularity at WEF decarbonization forum in Seoul

Korea Zinc announced Thursday that it participated in the World Economic Forum's "Decarbonization and Circularity for Industrial Competitiveness" forum, held June 29 and 30 at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul.

The forum was co-organized by the WEF and the Global Green Growth Institute. Senior representatives from Asia-Pacific governments, international organizations, industry and financial institutions gathered to discuss global cooperation on industrial decarbonization, the circular economy and critical mineral supply chains.

Kim Gu-hoe, a representative from Korea Zinc's ESG management team, joined the "Industrial Clusters Driving National Competitiveness" session as a panelist, alongside Kim Ho-cheol, director of climate mitigation policy at the Presidential Commission on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth; Kim Hyo-eun, chief executive of Global Industry Hub; and Park Young-deok, Korea representative of MOL.

"As electrification of the industrial ecosystem and the shift to a circular economy accelerate, the stability of critical mineral supply chains is the core foundation of national competitiveness," Kim said. "Korea Zinc stably supplies critical minerals — including zinc, copper, silver, antimony and indium — underpinning the spread of secondary batteries, renewable energy equipment and power infrastructure."

Kim added that "Korea Zinc is simultaneously strengthening supply chain stability and resource circularity by recovering and recycling critical minerals through resource circulation technology."

Kim also outlined the challenges that must be addressed to expand a low-carbon industrial ecosystem. He cited limited access to renewable energy, the high upfront investment required to secure clean energy, and uncertainty in the market for low-carbon products as key obstacles. Overcoming these barriers, he said, requires coordinated action: government institutional support and infrastructure development, expanded transition and project financing from the financial sector, and proactive investment by companies.

The forum also featured an introduction to Korea Zinc's new growth strategy, "Troika Drive." The strategy centers on three pillars — resource circulation, renewable energy and green hydrogen, and secondary battery materials — with a focus on building the core foundations that support industrial electrification and carbon neutrality.

Sun Metals Corporation, an Australian subsidiary that operates a zinc smelter, built a roughly 124-megawatt solar power plant in 2018, achieving "RE25" — supplying 25 percent of its annual electricity consumption from renewable energy. This allowed the smelting process to run on renewable power, reducing carbon emissions in production and laying the groundwork for low-carbon metal manufacturing.

Another Australian subsidiary, Ark Energy, is advancing the first phase of the Bowmans Creek wind farm and the Richmond Valley solar and battery energy storage system project to expand its stable renewable energy supply base. The company is also conducting a pilot project called "SunHQ," which produces green hydrogen using renewable energy, as it develops next-generation energy solutions to support decarbonization in the industrial and transportation sectors.

"This WEF forum reaffirmed that industrial decarbonization and the circular economy are agendas directly tied to national competitiveness, economic security and supply chain stability," a Korea Zinc official said. "Korea Zinc will continue to expand its resource circulation capabilities and clean energy project investment, and contribute to building a low-carbon industrial ecosystem in the Asia-Pacific region through cooperation with government, the financial sector and industry."

Meanwhile, Korea Zinc Chairman Choi Yun-beom recently held back-to-back meetings with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Queensland Premier David Crisafulli to discuss the need to strengthen critical mineral supply chains and enhance the competitiveness of the smelting industry.

On June 2, Choi attended the Korea-Canada Energy and Resource Supply Chain Cooperation Forum in Ottawa, where he offered strategic recommendations for stabilizing the global critical mineral supply chain and stressed the importance of cooperation among key nations including South Korea and Canada — continuing his active domestic and international efforts to secure stable supply chains.