Korea Zinc has outlined a strategy to connect renewable energy, green hydrogen, resource circulation and critical minerals production across South Korea, Australia and the United States, as the company seeks to develop a lower-carbon green metal supply chain.
The company presented the strategy at the 2026 World Climate Industry Expo (WCE) at the Busan Exhibition & Convention Center (BEXCO), where it showcased its global business value chain and plans for critical minerals.
Under the proposed integrated model, Australia would provide renewable energy and green hydrogen capabilities, the United States would serve as the centre of Korea Zinc’s resource-circulation activities, and South Korea would anchor the value chain through its smelting operations.
Australia, US and Korea form integrated value chain
Korea Zinc said the three-country structure is intended to connect projects across its renewable energy, resource circulation and critical minerals businesses.
The company presented renewable energy and green hydrogen projects being developed in Australia alongside its resource-circulation operations in the United States and critical minerals production centred on the Onsan Smelter in South Korea.
Korea Zinc said linking these activities could strengthen its critical minerals supply chain while expanding production of what it describes as “green metals”, with lower carbon emissions associated with the production process.
The strategy brings together businesses operating at different points of the materials value chain rather than treating renewable energy, recycling and metals production as separate activities.
Critical minerals at centre of strategy
At the WCE exhibition, Korea Zinc displayed models representing critical minerals including antimony, indium, bismuth, tellurium, germanium and gallium.
The company also presented its Troika Drive initiatives, which cover renewable energy, resource circulation and critical minerals.
A central diorama at the exhibition illustrated how projects in South Korea, Australia and the United States could be connected with critical minerals production.
The approach reflects Korea Zinc’s effort to link access to energy and secondary resources with its established metals-processing capabilities.
Renewable hydrogen and resource circulation linked to metals
Australia is an important component of the strategy because Korea Zinc is developing renewable energy and green hydrogen projects there.
The company intends to connect these activities with its smelting operations in South Korea, while its US resource-circulation business provides another element of the proposed supply chain.
Resource circulation can provide secondary raw materials through the recovery and processing of materials from waste streams. In an integrated metals strategy, this can complement primary mineral processing by creating additional sources of materials.
The source does not specify individual production capacities, project timelines or the quantities of critical minerals expected to be supplied through the proposed three-country system.
Strategy presented to international stakeholders
Korea Zinc presented the integrated value chain to domestic and international visitors during the opening day of the WCE on 16 September.
Among those visiting the company’s booth were Kim Seong-hwan, minister at South Korea’s Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, and Francesco La Camera, director-general of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
Korea Zinc said the exhibition provided an opportunity to present its international business structure and its green metal strategy to policymakers and industry stakeholders.
A company official said the business would continue strengthening synergies between renewable energy and green hydrogen, resource circulation and smelting to support the critical minerals supply chain.
Bioenergy Business Analysis
Korea Zinc’s strategy illustrates how industrial companies are increasingly considering energy, recycling and mineral processing as interconnected parts of supply-chain resilience and decarbonisation. Linking renewable electricity and green hydrogen in Australia with resource recovery in the US and smelting in Korea creates a cross-border model that connects energy inputs and material recovery with downstream metals production.
The commercial significance will depend on the scale and execution of the individual projects, as well as the availability of renewable energy, recovered materials and critical mineral feedstocks. The announcement establishes the strategic framework but does not provide project-level capacity, investment or production figures, so the extent of the resulting green-metal supply chain remains to be demonstrated through deployment.
