By
6 min ago 2 min read
Industrial gas major Air Liquide will build a nitrogen production unit in South Korea, worth nearly €200m ($232m), to supply memory chipmaker SK hynix under a newly signed long-term contract.
Set to be operational by late 2027, the plant will supply high-purity gases and high-purity compressed air to SK hynix’s Cheongju fab and support advanced packaging of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips, used in AI development.
The project expands Air Liquide’s footprint in the Cheongju industrial basin, where it already supports several SK hynix plants.
SK hynix’s Cheongju fab – P&T7 – is a $12.9bn advanced packaging and testing site.
Ground was broken at the facility in April 2026, with the wafer testing line targeting startup for October 2027 and the wafer-level packaging line slated for production in February 2028, according to the report.
The announcement follows Air earlier this year, which strengthened Air Liquide’s footprint in Asia’s electronics industry.
With the deal’s closure, Air Liquide said it would double its workforce in South Korea and reach around €900m of combined sales as it looks to build on its 30-year footprint in the market.
Ronnie Chalmers, Vice-President at Air Liquide, supervising the Asia-Pacific region, said the acquisition presented a secured portfolio of nearly 20 projects.
