POSCO Air Solution completes high‑purity rare gas plant at Gwangyang
- POSCO Air Solution completed a high‑purity rare gas plant at the Donghoan site of Gwangyang Works.
- The facility has an annual capacity of 130,000 Normal cubic meters (Nm³) producing high‑purity xenon, krypton and neon.
- Output is capable of meeting approximately 52% of South Korea’s domestic semiconductor industry demand for rare gases.
- POSCO set up a dedicated new business organisation in 2021 and expanded it into an Industrial Gas Business Division in 2023 to enter the market.
Project completion
POSCO Air Solution held a completion ceremony for a high‑purity rare gas plant at the Donghoan site of Gwangyang Works on the 17th, in conjunction with an Electric Arc Furnace completion event attended by about 100 guests including POSCO Holdings CEO Chang In‑hwa, government officials, and client and partner representatives. POSCO Air Solution is led by CEO Kim Dae‑yeon.
Production and feedstock
The plant refines crude gas extracted from POSCO’s oxygen plants into high‑purity xenon (Xe), krypton (Kr) and neon (Ne) with an annual production capacity of 130,000 Nm³. These rare gases are used in semiconductor lithography and etching, aerospace and medical applications, and the facility can supply roughly 52% of domestic semiconductor demand for rare gases.
Strategic intent and next steps
POSCO established a dedicated new business organisation in 2021 and expanded it into an Industrial Gas Business Division in 2023 to prepare for market entry. The group says it will expand its specialty gas portfolio by combining steelmaking infrastructure with gas purification technology to support supply chain stability for advanced industries.
Source: POSCO
