Kumho Petrochemical is restructuring around higher value, lower carbon products. It has started commercial production of 35,000 tons of SSBR for EV tires and added 70,000 tons of EPDM specialty rubber, bringing total capacity to 310,000 tons. The company also installed CO2 capture facilities rated at 76,000 tons per year and plans to use recycled plastic from waste appliances in auto interior materials. The petrochemical group is also moving into batteries. It is working with POSCO Future M and BEI on anode-free lithium metal cells, and affiliate Kumho Mitsui Chemicals is expanding MDI capacity while developing bio-based polyurethane. These moves are still early, and the article does not say how the emissions reductions are measured, but the direction is clear: less commodity plastic, more specialty and eco-friendly materials.
