‘High-Purity Rare Gas’ Domestic Production Base Groundbreaking
First Investment Fruit of New Industry After Deregulation
Stable Supply of Advanced Industry Materials Like Semiconductors
On the 5th, Gwangyang City in Jeollanam-do held a groundbreaking ceremony for POSCO Jungtai Air Solution at the Donghoan project site in the Gwangyang National Industrial Complex.
Attendees at the event included Park Chang-hwan, Vice Governor for Economy of Jeollanam-do, Kim Ki-hong, Deputy Mayor of Gwangyang City, Koo Chung-gon, Director of the Gwangyang Bay Area Free Economic Zone Authority, Park Sung-hyun, President of Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority, Yeom Dong-il, Head of the Jeonnam Headquarters of the Korea Industrial Complex Corporation, Kim Jong-joo, Director of the Industrial Supply Chain Policy Division at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, as well as POSCO Group officials such as Lee Hyung-soo, Head of POSCO Management Planning Headquarters, and Lee Dong-ryeol, Director of Gwangyang Steelworks.
On the 5th, the groundbreaking ceremony for POSCO Jungtai Air Solution was held at the Donghoan project site in Gwangyang National Industrial Complex. Photo by Gwangyang City
Last year, the regulatory restrictions on the Donghoan site in the Gwangyang National Industrial Complex were lifted, creating a foundation for large-scale investment attraction in advanced industries beyond the steel industry. Thanks to the accelerated realization of investments, POSCO Jungtai Air Solution is now able to actively begin domestic production of high-purity rare gases.
The high-purity rare gas production plant separates and refines crude (low-purity) rare gases emitted from the air separation unit of Gwangyang Steelworks to produce high-purity rare gases. The construction is underway with an investment of 142 billion KRW, aiming for operation by the end of next year. Once operational, the plant is expected to employ 50 personnel.
When the plant is operational, it will produce 130,000 Nm3 of high-purity rare gases annually. This volume can supply 52% of the domestic semiconductor market, stabilizing the supply chain of high-purity rare gases, which are core materials for national advanced industries such as semiconductors and aerospace that have relied on imports.
Lee Hyung-soo, Head of POSCO Management Planning Headquarters, stated, “Starting with the production of high-purity rare gases, POSCO Group plans to expand its industrial gas business portfolio to include specialty gases utilizing steel by-products and the supply of oxygen and nitrogen for secondary battery material production.”
Park Chang-hwan, Vice Governor for Economy of Jeollanam-do, said, “Donghoan is one of the nationwide success cases where site regulations were lifted through collective efforts. Jeollanam-do will spare no support as a partner of POSCO to help POSCO Jungtai Air Solution soar as a global company.”
Kim Ki-hong, Deputy Mayor of Gwangyang City, said, “I sincerely congratulate the groundbreaking of POSCO Jungtai Air Solution’s high-purity rare gas plant, the first project of Donghoan regulatory innovation. I hope it will greatly contribute to Korea’s advanced strategic industries, and we will actively provide the necessary administrative support for this.”
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