Good news from GDD Steel: a total of 800 tons of high-quality stainless steel tubes have been successfully loaded and officially shipped to South Korea. These products will be used in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) pipeline project of Korea Gas Corporation (KOGAS), a leading South Korean energy company. This marks a further enhancement of GDD Steel’s competitiveness in the international high-end industrial steel market and once again validates the company’s development strategy of “winning with quality, serving the world.”
It is reported that the stainless steel tubes shipped to South Korea come in a variety of specifications, including seamless and welded tubes with outer diameters ranging from Φ219mm to Φ630mm. The primary materials are 304L, 316L, and duplex steel 2205, all produced in accordance with international standards such as ASTM A312 and ASME B36.19M. The products have undergone rigorous non-destructive testing (UT, RT), hydrostatic testing, and intergranular corrosion testing to ensure long-term stable operation under extreme conditions such as high pressure, low temperature, and strong corrosion.
As South Korea’s sole national natural gas import and distribution enterprise, KOGAS is responsible for the construction and operation of LNG receiving terminals, storage facilities, and gas transmission networks across the country. In recent years, driven by South Korea’s “carbon neutrality” strategy, KOGAS has been accelerating the expansion of coastal LNG receiving terminals, leading to a surge in demand for highly corrosion-resistant, high-toughness stainless steel tubes. Leveraging its comprehensive advantages in material R&D, process control, and delivery capability, GDD Steel successfully won the contract to supply tubes for key sections of the project.
These stainless steel tubes will be primarily used in the low-temperature delivery system of the LNG receiving terminal. According to the head of GDD Steel’s overseas business department, “The project imposes extremely high requirements on the low-temperature impact toughness of the materials, which must maintain good plasticity even at -196°C. By optimizing the smelting process, precisely controlling the nickel-chromium ratio, and adding trace amounts of nitrogen, we successfully overcame this technical bottleneck.”
The smooth delivery of this order is inseparable from GDD Steel’s sustained investments in smart manufacturing and quality systems in recent years. The company’s newly built “Smart Tube Production Line” achieves full-process digital control, from raw material warehousing, rolling and forming, and heat treatment to final product inspection. Each steel tube is assigned a unique “digital ID” that allows traceability of production batches, process parameters, and quality inspection reports, greatly enhancing product consistency and customer trust.
It is worth noting that to address uncertainties in international logistics, GDD Steel initiated the delivery plan three months in advance, coordinating port, shipping, and customs clearance resources. The company adopted a “batch collection to port, full-vessel shipment” model to ensure that the 800 tons of tubes were loaded onto a single vessel within the contract period. The transport vessel, “Oriental Star,” departed from Qingdao Port early this morning and is expected to arrive at Pyeongtaek Port in South Korea in 10 days.
This delivery is not only an export of products but also a demonstration of technology and brand. Manager Zhou of GDD Steel stated, “Our technical team conducted multiple rounds of solution consultations with KOGAS’s team. Specifically addressing the high-salt, high-humidity coastal environment of South Korea, we specially enhanced the passivation treatment process for the outer walls of the tubes to ensure corrosion resistance within the 30-year design life.”
In recent years, GDD Steel has continued to deeply cultivate overseas markets, with products exported to more than 30 countries and regions across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas, building a strong reputation in energy, chemical, and marine engineering sectors. The delivery of this order to South Korea represents a significant breakthrough in the company’s annual export targets and lays a solid foundation for future participation in South Korea’s new energy infrastructure construction.
Looking ahead, GDD Steel will continue to pursue technological innovation and quality upgrades, offering higher-standard products and services to support global energy transformation and industrial development, steadily advancing toward its goal of becoming a “world-class supplier of specialty steel tubes.”
