E&Corporation "Han Sung Clean Tech Achieves Core Semiconductor Ultrapure Water Technology Independence... Leap to SoBuJang Leading Small Giant Company"

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunseok Yoo] E&Corporation announced on the 15th that its subsidiary Hanseong Cleantec has been selected for a government-funded project to develop domestic technology for the production process of high-purity industrial water (ultrapure water).

This national project aims to domestically localize the design, construction, and operation sectors of ultrapure water production, an essential material in semiconductor manufacturing processes, for the first time in Korea. The total project budget over the next five years is approximately 28 billion KRW, of which Hanseong Cleantec will be responsible for localizing the design and construction sectors, with a related budget of 17.2 billion KRW.

Through this agreement, Hanseong Cleantec plans to domestically localize the ultrapure water production process, which is currently monopolized by Japanese companies. Currently, a few Japanese companies virtually monopolize the entire process of design, construction, and operation of ultrapure water, an essential material in semiconductor manufacturing, as well as the overall supply chain of materials, parts, and equipment.

Among the key equipment for ultrapure water production facilities, parts made of fluororesin (PVDF: Polyvinylidene fluoride) and Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene fiber) are included as strategic materials, similar to hydrogen fluoride. The company explains that a second hydrogen fluoride crisis could occur at any time. Since ultrapure water production technology affects not only the water treatment sector but also the overall technological and production capabilities of the national industry, technological independence is urgently needed from the perspective of economic security as well as economic value.

A representative from Hanseong Cleantec stated, “Based on various water treatment patents, we have carried out ultrapure water facility construction worth 217 billion KRW over the past 10 years, including numerous overseas plant facilities in the Middle East and Southeast Asia,” adding, “We are confident in developing to achieve 100% localization of ultrapure water production infrastructure design and over 60% localization of construction technology by 2025.”