'120 Trillion' Won Yongin Semiconductor Cluster Power and Water Infrastructure Construction 'Smooth Progress'

Aerial View of Yongin Semiconductor Cluster

[Asia Economy (Yongin) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Construction work for power and water supply, the core infrastructure of the 'Yongin Semiconductor Cluster' in Wonsam-myeon, Cheoin-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, is progressing smoothly.

Yongin City announced on the 14th that construction of the core infrastructure such as power and water supply for the semiconductor cluster is proceeding normally with the goal of operating the first fab in the first half of 2027.

Mayor Lee Sang-il of Yongin said, "We will minimize inconvenience to residents caused by construction and strive to complete the necessary infrastructure for semiconductor fab operation within the deadline by advancing the schedule as much as possible." He added, "Last month, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy decided to support Yongin City with 50 billion KRW in national funds to expand semiconductor infrastructure, accelerating the successful promotion of the semiconductor cluster."

The power supply facility for the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster began construction in May last year with a target completion date of August 2026, and currently, 17% of the work has been completed. The project involves installing a transmission line approximately 6 km long from the Sin-Anseong Substation located in Anseong City.

The annual electricity consumption for the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster is 21,440 GWh, which is similar to the annual electricity consumption of Jeollabuk-do residents.

To minimize inconvenience to residents caused by the installation of the transmission line, the entire section will be installed as a tunnel-type underground line. Additionally, to reduce noise and vibration during construction, a tunnel boring machine (TBM), known as a Bigfoot truck, will be deployed.

The TBM method uses a cutting head with powerful gears to drill through hard bedrock while simultaneously removing debris and fragments via a conveyor belt, enhancing construction efficiency. Furthermore, to shorten the construction period as much as possible, three TBMs will be deployed simultaneously for the first time in Korea.

The water supply facility construction involves installing a 1,500 mm diameter pipeline stretching 36.9 km from the water intake point at Yeoju Weir on the Namhan River in Yeoju City, passing through Icheon City, to the project site in Wonsam-myeon.

This will supply 265,000 tons of industrial water (first phase) per day.

Although there were concerns due to delays in consultations with related local governments during the permit process, construction began immediately after a win-win agreement was signed at the end of last year, and full-scale construction is currently underway with a target completion date of July 2026.

To reduce the construction period, the city has subdivided the entire construction section into six segments and is promoting the pipeline installation separately by each local government area it passes through.

Separately, a public wastewater treatment facility to treat wastewater generated within the industrial complex will also be installed by the end of 2026.

The facility, with a capacity to treat an average of 11,000 tons per day, will be constructed underground over a total area of 32,600 square meters. Above ground, based on local residents' opinions, plans are in place to create resident-friendly spaces such as sports facilities or parks.

Last month, the city submitted this basic plan to the Han River Basin Environmental Office and is awaiting approval. The total project cost is 67.2 billion KRW, of which 26.8 billion KRW for facility costs is being pursued for national funding.

The Yongin Semiconductor Cluster is a project where Yongin General Industrial Complex Co., Ltd., the project implementer, is developing a 4.15 million square meter site in Wonsam-myeon, Cheoin-gu, and SK Hynix is investing 120 trillion KRW to build a total of four semiconductor fabs.