Completion of high-purity rare gas plant at the Gwangyang Donghoan site… Full-scale entry into next-generation semiconductor and aerospace-related industries
Producing high-purity xenon, krypton, and neon with an annual capacity of 130,000 Nm³… Capable of meeting 52% of domestic semiconductor demand
POSCO Group accelerates industrial gas business… Expanding specialty gas portfolio in synergy with steelmaking operations
POSCO Group has completed the construction of a high-purity rare gas plant for the semiconductor and aerospace industries, further strengthening its competitiveness in next-generation businesses linked with its steelmaking operations.
POSCO Air Solution (CEO Kim Dae-yeon), an industrial gas affiliate of POSCO Group, held a completion ceremony for its high-purity rare gas plant at the Donghoan site of Gwangyang Works on the 17th. Held in conjunction with the Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) completion ceremony, the event was attended by approximately 100 guests, including Chang In-hwa, CEO of POSCO Holdings, government officials, local government representatives, and executives and employees of client and partner companies.
POSCO Air Solution produces high-purity products using rare gases extracted from POSCO’s oxygen plants as feedstock. Recognizing the growing importance of rare gases in the semiconductor and aerospace sectors, POSCO established a dedicated new business organization in 2021 and expanded it into the Industrial Gas Business Division in 2023 to systematically prepare for market entry. The completion of this plant enables the localization of key materials for semiconductors and aerospace that were previously entirely import-dependent, which is expected to significantly enhance supply chain stability across the nation’s advanced industries.
The newly completed plant has an annual production capacity of 130,000 Normal cubic meters (Nm³)*, capable of meeting approximately 52% of the domestic semiconductor industry’s demand for rare gases. The facility refines crude gas extracted from the oxygen plants of POSCO’s steelworks into high-purity xenon (Xe), krypton (Kr), and neon (Ne). These rare gases are essential materials widely used across advanced industries, including semiconductor lithography and etching processes, as well as aerospace and medical applications.
*Note: Normal cubic meter (Nm³) is a unit used for flow rate and volume, where “N” stands for “Normal,” representing standard conditions (typically 0°C and 1 atm), and m³ represents the volume under actual operating conditions.
In his commemorative speech, POSCO Holdings CEO Chang In-hwa stated, “Amid intensifying instability in global supply chains for key materials, it is highly meaningful that we can now directly produce and stably supply essential materials for advanced industries that will shape the nation’s future, such as semiconductors and aerospace, using our own technology.” He added, “This milestone goes beyond merely building a factory; it will serve as a reliable pillar safeguarding the supply chain security of South Korea’s advanced industries.”
With the completion of the high-purity rare gas plant, POSCO Group plans to expand its portfolio into various specialty gas businesses in synergy with its steelmaking operations. By combining POSCO’s world-class steelmaking infrastructure with its advanced gas purification technology, the company aims to not only supply the oxygen and nitrogen required for the production of steel and rechargeable battery materials but also lead the high-value-added rare and specialty gas markets.
▲ On the 17th, POSCO Air Solution held a completion ceremony for its high-purity rare gas plant. (From left) Lee Jong-geun, President of Hanyang ENG; Jeon Hyeong-yeol, Director of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI); Woo Kwang-il, Chairman of the Gwangyang Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Jeong Tae-seong, Director General of the Yeosu Regional Office of Oceans and Fisheries; Lee Hee-geun, President of POSCO; Jeong In-hwa, Gwangyang Mayor; Chang In-hwa, CEO of POSCO Holdings; Zhang Yuchun, President of Zhongtai; Wu Zhangmin, Director of Weihua Group; Park Seong-hyeon, Gwangyang Mayor-elect; Shin Seong-won, Head of POSCO Corporate Planning Headquarters; and Kim Dae-yeon, President of POSCO Air Solution.
▲ On the 17th, Chang In-hwa, CEO of POSCO Holdings, delivers a commemorative speech at the completion ceremony of the high-purity rare gas plant.
▲ Lee Hee-geun, President of POSCO; Park Seong-hyeon, Gwangyang Mayor-elect; Chang In-hwa, CEO of POSCO Holdings; and Jeong In-hwa, Gwangyang Mayor, inspect the POSCO Air Solution high-purity rare gas plant.