By Han Joo-yeob powerusr@ddaily.co.kr Digital Daily
The world\'s second-largest memory chip maker SK Hynix will build a new semiconductor plant in Icheon, Gyeonggi-do.
A high-ranking government official said on Dec. 18 that the company has decided to build two additional buildings in its plant in Ami-ri, Bubal-eup, Icheon, Gyeonggi-do, for a new memory chip production line.
SK Hynix will reportedly invest about 15 trillion won in the construction. But the timing of the construction and the total investment amount were not confirmed.
Responding to the inquiry notice from the Korea Stock Exchange, SK Hynix said it is “considering a plan to build new clean rooms in Icheon to maintain competency in a medium and long term.”
Wastewater treatment has been the biggest obstacle to an expansion of the plant of SK Hynix in Icheon. Since Icheon is included in the Metropolitan Area Natural Preservation Zone, it has stiff regulations on semiconductor wastewater. SK Hynix pushed for an expansion of the Icheon plant in 2006 but gave up because of the regulation.
The government reportedly gave the green light to the plan this time on the condition that the company reduces the level of contamination to a considerable degree by decreasing the amount of wastewater and lowering the level of pollutant concentrations in it.
SK Hynix has not revealed what it would produce in the new production line. Industry sources, however, said they would most likely manufacture DRAM, or dynamic random access memory, and system semiconductors(foundry) in the new plant.