POSCO is developing eco-friendly special gases with low global warming potentials, replacing high-global warming potential semiconductor etching gases with low global warming potentials, to fully pioneer the low-global warming potential etching gas market, which is growing at an average annual rate of 13%.

On the 1st, POSCO launched a four-party consortium and signed a 'Business Agreement on Cooperation in Research and Development of Manufacturing Technology for Low-Global Warming Potential Etching Gas and Refrigerant Gas for Semiconductors and Displays' at the headquarters of the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology in Daejeon. The event was attended by Yoo Byeong-ok, Head of POSCO's Industrial Gas and Hydrogen Business Division; Lee Mi-hye, President of the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology; Yoo Seong, President of the RIST (Pohang Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology); and Yoo Won-yang, CEO of TEMC.

At the signing ceremony, Yoo Byeong-ok, head of POSCO’s Industrial Gas and Hydrogen Business Division, said, “POSCO is currently selling surplus gas generated from the steelmaking process for industrial use. Through this collaboration, we expect to expand our business area into the eco-friendly gas market, where demand is expected to grow significantly in the future, and create new business opportunities.” Said.

Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT) President Lee Mi-hye also expressed her anticipation for the collaboration, saying, "As Korea's only publicly funded research institute in the chemical field, KRICT is conducting various technology development research to achieve national carbon neutrality. We hope that leveraging KRICT's research capabilities and collaboration with POSCO, RIST, and TEMC will accelerate the commercialization of related technologies and accelerate our contribution to reducing national greenhouse gas emissions."

Industrial gases refer to various gases used for product production in various industries such as manufacturing, semiconductors, and petrochemicals.

Among them, etching gas used in the semiconductor industry is a key material that precisely cuts away unnecessary parts of the circuit during semiconductor manufacturing, and refrigerant gas is the main material most widely used not only in refrigerators and air conditioners in general households but also in industrial sites.

On the other hand, etching gases currently used in the industry have high global warming potentials, leading to significant carbon emissions costs, and their use is also being considered for regulation. Refrigerant gases containing ingredients that pose a high risk of ozone depletion are also slated for a global ban starting in 2030.

In line with these environmental regulations and the global ESG management trend, demand for eco-friendly etching gases and refrigerant gases that reduce global warming and ozone layer destruction risks is expected to increase rapidly across industries, including semiconductors, displays, and home appliances.

According to a report by global market research firm Markets and Markets, the global market for low-global warming potential etching gases and cooling gases, which was worth approximately KRW 9 trillion in 2019, is expected to grow by an average of 13% per year, expanding to approximately KRW 15 trillion in 2023. In addition, in Korea, more than 90% of the current demand for eco-friendly etching gases is dependent on imported materials from the US, Japan, etc., so local production is also urgent.

The eco-friendly industrial gas being developed by the consortium, including POSCO, poses no risk of ozone depletion and has a significantly lower global warming potential than existing gases.

Additionally, depending on the purity of the gas, high purity gas can be used as an etching gas, and standard purity gas can be used as a refrigerant gas, thereby meeting a wide range of industrial needs.

According to the agreement, the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology will develop core technologies for eco-friendly gases, and RIST will conduct scale-up research on the developed technologies.

POSCO and TEMC plan to produce gas based on the developed technology, commercialize it by 2025, and supply it to domestic and foreign semiconductor manufacturers.

In addition, POSCO has agreed to participate in carbon resource utilization research, previously conducted in collaboration with the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT) and RIST. POSCO will continue its research by advancing its existing Carbon Capture & Utilization (CCU) technology to separate carbon monoxide from steelmaking by-product gas and then utilize it as a raw material for chemical product production.

Based on this agreement, POSCO plans to secure eco-friendly gas production technology capabilities in line with its 2050 carbon neutral vision and ESG management, and to target the global industrial gas market.