The foundation of the rare gas plant of the China-Korea joint venture

Recently, Posco Zhongtai Air Solutions Co., Ltd. held a groundbreaking ceremony for a high-purity rare gas plant in Donghuan, Gwangyang City, Jeollanam-do Province, South Korea. The plant is scheduled to be completed by the end of next year.

Zhongtai Cryogenic Technology Corporation once announced that Posco Group (POSCO) of South Korea and Zhongtai Co., Ltd. signed a "Cooperative Investment Agreement" in December 2023, intending to jointly establish a factory in South Korea to produce rare gases required for chip manufacturing.

It is reported that Posco Zhongtai Company is a joint venture between POSCO and Posco Holdings Inc of South Korea. It will build the largest high-purity rare gas plant in South Korea in the Gwangyang National Industrial Park in Gwangyang City, and refine the low-purity rare gas of POSCO Steel Plant into high-purity gas. The annual production capacity of rare gas is 130,000 standard cubic meters. After completion, the plant will be able to supply more than 50% of the products in the Korean semiconductor market, and is expected to make important contributions to the localization of high-purity rare gas materials that currently rely mainly on imports and the growth of high-purity rare gas materials in South Korea.

Li Jiarong, deputy general manager of Zhongtai Co., Ltd., said that the start of construction of the rare gas plant marks an important progress made by Zhongtai Saineng in the global market. The company will rely on its rich experience and innovative technology to assist Posco Zhongtai in providing high-quality rare gases for key areas such as Korean semiconductors and promote local industrial development.

It is reported that Posco Zhongtai Co., Ltd. was established in August this year. POSCO holds 75.1% of the shares and Zhongtai Saineng holds 24.9% of the shares. It aims to give full play to Zhongtai Saineng's professional and technical advantages in high-purity rare gas production facilities, invest in the construction of rare gas equipment, operate the manufacture and sales of high-purity rare gases, etc.