SEOUL, KOREA - OCI Materials, the world's No. 1 producer of specialty industrial gases, will build a new plant in Yeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, at the cost of 80 billion won. The company said on November 5 that it would hold a signing ceremony for the new factory to produce nitrogen trifluoride on the following day at the provincial government complex with North Gyeongsang Province governor Kim Kwan-yong, Yeongju city mayor Chang Wook-hyun, and OCI Materials president Lim Min-kyu in attendance.

 

Nitrogen trifluoride is used for removing residues from the inner wall of chamber during the manufacturing process of semiconductors, TFT-LCD, and solar cells. The company will break the ground for the new plant in the vicinity of the current production site and complete the construction by the end of 2015. Established in 1982, OCI Materials has an annual nitrogen trifluoride capacity of 5,600 tons. Of this, the No. 1 and 2 plants with capacity of 300 tons and 600 tons are currently inoperational due to low yield. Including the capacity in its Chinese plant, the company has a total of 6,600 tons of capacity.

 

The city government of Yeongju succeeded in making the company increase investment in the city by aggressive promotion and generous incentive packages. Mr. Chang, the mayor, said, "Once the factory is completed, it will hire 120 Yeongju citizens while contributing to increase the tax revenue for the city."

 

Article provided by The Korea Economic Daily