LOTTE Chemical Group: Hantok Chemicals breaks ground on Pyeongtaek TMAH plant

Project

Hantok Chemicals held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) production plant in the Poseung (BIX) District of Pyeongtaek. The company will invest KRW 130 billion to expand semiconductor-grade TMAH production on a 32,216㎡ site, with production lines expanded in phases to align with customers' capacity schedules.

Strategic rationale

The Pyeongtaek plant adds a second production base to Hantok's Ulsan facility to improve supply-chain stability, logistics efficiency and responsiveness as Korea's semiconductor clusters expand. TMAH is used as a developer in photolithography to form fine circuit patterns in semiconductor and display manufacturing.

Company and market context

Hantok Chemicals was established in 1995 as a 50:50 joint venture between LOTTE Fine Chemical and Tokuyama Corporation; since 2020 ownership has been equally shared by LOTTE Chemical and Tokuyama. High-purity semiconductor-grade TMAH is currently produced only in Korea, Taiwan, Japan and the United States, and Hantok has been designated a National Strategic Technology Commercialization Facility.

Stakeholders

About 70 guests attended the ceremony, including senior executives from LOTTE Group and Tokuyama, local government officials and partner companies. Company leaders described the investment as a strategic move to proactively address future demand and strengthen the resilience of the supply chain supporting Korea's semiconductor clusters.