Quantum-based gas sensing is better than infrared sensing.
Capable of measuring leak concentrations from up to 5 times farther away
Plans to pilot the technology in actual facilities within the year


Quantum technology is being used to detect gas leaks in real time at large gas facilities, preventing major accidents.

On the 15th, SK Telecom signed a business agreement with the Korea Gas Safety Corporation's Gas Safety Research Institute, gas safety specialist Korea Plant Management, and quantum/optical sensing specialist Quantum Sensing, and decided to commercialize gas safety solutions utilizing quantum sensing.

Quantum sensing is a technology that detects objects or analyzes materials by measuring photons, the smallest unit of energy that cannot be divided any further.

Quantum-based gas sensing solutions emit light at facilities and analyze the reflected light wavelengths to measure gas leaks and concentrations, and transmit the risk to a real-time control center.

Infrared-based gas leak detectors, which are commonly used for monitoring large gas facilities, have a short detection range, cannot measure gas concentration, and cannot detect small gas leaks. If a gas leak is suspected, there is also the limitation that an observer must check for a gas leak from a close distance.

In contrast, quantum-based gas sensing solutions can visualize the presence and concentration of gas leaks up to 150 meters away and transmit real-time information to a control center, enabling intuitive identification of leak locations. This enables remote observation of large-scale gas facilities over a wide range, enabling accurate identification of actual gas leaks and their exact location.

SKT, together with the Korea Gas Safety Corporation, plans to pilot a quantum-based gas sensing solution at large-scale domestic gas facilities within the year.

Additionally, we are developing a drone-mounted quantum-based gas sensing solution to monitor dangerous facilities, and we plan to upgrade our system to a dual- and triple-layered safety system that uses AI to analyze remote, real-time, high-definition data via 5G to prevent even the smallest mistakes. We are also considering linking this system with on-site security services, such as ADT Caps.

SKT has been developing quantum technology across two areas: "quantum cryptography," which leverages quantum properties to create impenetrable encryption, and "quantum sensing." This quantum-based gas sensing solution is the company's second quantum sensing effort, following "single-photon LiDAR," which detects objects beyond the visual range of autonomous vehicles.