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OCI Enters High-Value Semiconductor Material Business with Pitch for Isotropic Artificial Graphite- OCI begins initial supply of pitch for isotropic artificial graphite, a key semiconductor material, to Ibiden Graphite Korea- Strengthening market leadership and contributes to localization of pitch as the one of the world’s largest liquid pitch producers- Plans to expand high-value artificial graphite pitch business by actively broadening customer base- OCI aims to maximize profitability and secure long-term growth momentum by expanding semiconductor and advanced materials businessesOCI is accelerating its expansion into the pitch market—used as a raw material for isotropic artificial graphite in semiconductor applications—as it broadens its portfolio of high-value-added semiconductor materials.On July 15th, OCI announced that it has commenced the first delivery of pitch for isotropic artificial graphite to Ibiden Graphite Korea Co., Ltd., the only manufacturer of isotropic artificial graphite in Korea. This material is essential in semiconductor and advanced material industries.Isotropic artificial graphite is a high-purity, heat-resistant material with excellent electrical conductivity and structural stability at high temperatures. It is widely used in industrial molds for melting and casting key materials. In specific, it is often used in the semiconductor industry, it serves as a crucible for melting polysilicon into ingots during wafer manufacturing, as well as a component for heating wafers during deposition processes. Additionally, it is a essential material in advanced defense applications such as missiles and fighter jets, and in nuclear power industry for use in neutron moderators.As one of the world’s largest liquid pitch producers, OCI manufactures approximately 520,000 metric tons of liquid pitch annually in Korea and China and holds exclusive domestic production technology. While OCI’s pitch has traditionally been used as a binder in aluminum smelting electrodes, its applications are expanding as a raw material for isotropic artificial graphite — a material gaining prominence in semiconductors and other high-tech industries. Until now, pitch used in isotropic artificial graphite has been fully dependent on imports. OCI's domestic production and supply marks a significant step in localizing this strategic material. By supplying Ibiden Graphite Korea, OCI aims to further solidify its leadership in the high-value pitch market.The global market for isotropic artificial graphite is valued at approximately $3 billion (approximately KRW 4.2 trillion) and is expected to grow steadily alongside the recovery of the semiconductor industry and the expansion of the defense sector. This will likely drive continued demand for isotropic artificial graphite pitch. OCI plans to increase its pitch production through process optimization of existing facilities without additional investment, and to proactively expand its customer base in response to growing market needs.Despite a challenging business environment, OCI is focusing on strengthening its competitiveness in high-value materials, especially in semiconductors and secondary batteries, to drive mid- to long-term growth. In the second half of 2024, OCI will begin its first-ever domestic supply of semiconductor-grade phosphoric acid to SK Hynix and plans to gradually expand capacity in line with growing demand. With the February 2025 acquisition of P&O Chemical shares and ongoing customer engagement efforts, OCI also expects to expand its semiconductor-grade hydrogen peroxide business.Furthermore, the company is actively entering new high-value material businesses, including specialty materials for silicon anodes and expansion of conductive carbon black used in high-voltage cables.OCI Vice Chairman Yoo-Shin Kim stated, "Starting with this supply to Ibiden, we will continue to expand our pitch business for semiconductor applications and diversify into other high-tech fields such as defense and small modular reactors (SMRs). We aim to increase the share of high-value added materials in our portfolio to maximize profitability and secure long-term growth momentum." 

OCI Expands Supply of Semiconductor Phosphoric Acid to Domestic Manufacturers, including DB HiTek’s Bucheon Plant- OCI started suppling semiconductor phosphoric acid to DB Hi Tek’s plant in Bucheon this month. - Expanding supply to the plant in Bucheon, in addition to the Sangwoo plant, demonstrates that OCI’s product quality and stable supply are recognized by customers. - This expansion further proves OCI’s excellent product quality following its selection as a supplier to SK Hynix in August.OCI started supplying semiconductor phosphoric acid to DB HiTek, a domestic chip foundry specialist, this month. This expanded supply to DB HiTek further demonstrates OCI's competitive quality in semiconductor phosphoric acid following its designation as the first domestic manufacturer to supply semiconductor phosphoric acid to SK Hynix in August.Since OCI began producing semiconductor phosphoric acid in 2007, its Gunsan plant produced 25,000 tons annually, and is supplying domestic chip makers such as Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and SK keyfoundry. The semiconductor phosphoric acid produced by OCI is essential for wafer etching in the semiconductor fabrication process, and plays a crucial role in precisely removing unnecessary parts of wafers to create circuits.DB HiTek, a Korean foundry company that specializes in 8-inch semiconductors, operates two plants, one in Bucheon (FAB1) and another in Sangwoo (FAB2). DB HiTek increased its production capacity in the first half of this year, and the Bucheon plant now produces 91,000 wafers per month, while the Sangwoo plant makes 63,000 wafers per month.OCI has consistently worked to increase its supply to DB HiTek’s plant in Bucheon since it began providing semiconductor phosphoric acid to the Sangwoo plant in 2021. It is generally more challenging to supply products to a production line where other products are already in use than to supply them to a new plant, which makes this supply expansion particularly significant.OCI has dedicated manpower exclusively for DB HiTek to supply products that meet DB HiTek’s specifications and production line characteristics. It has actively cooperated in close communication with the customer. OCI has also focused on R&D to improve product quality and production processes, and strives to ensure a stable supply and secure raw materials. As a result of DB HiTek recognizing OCI’s superior product quality and supply stability, OCI’s supply to the plant in Bucheon was achieved. In August, OCI became the first domestic manufacturer to be selected as a semiconductor phosphoric acid supplier to SK Hynix. This month, OCI expanded its supply to DB HiTek’s plant in Bucheon, underscoring the high regard for OCI’s product quality and competitiveness among domestic semiconductor manufacturers. OCI aims to further expand the sale of semiconductor phosphoric acid by flexibly responding to the growing demand of customers and leveraging its superior product competitiveness.OCI President Yoo Shin Kim said, "The success in supplying semiconductor phosphoric acid to DB HiTek’s plant in Bucheon is a significant achievement. In the future, we will further strengthen our competitiveness by maintaining superior production quality and supply stability. Our goal is to secure an exclusive position as a core materials company in the semiconductor sector.” 

OCI to supply semiconductor phosphoric acid to SK hynixOCI is strengthening its position as a semiconductor materials company. - OCI became the first domestic semiconductor materials company to supply semiconductor phosphoric acid to SK hynix.- The company holds the largest market share and supplies semiconductor phosphoric acid to all semiconductor manufacturers in Korea including Samsung Electronics and SK hynix.- OCI is strengthening its semiconductor materials business, such as phosphoric acid and hydrogen peroxide for semiconductors, in response to the growing semiconductor market. - OCI President Yoo Shin Kim said, “We will strengthen our position as a competitive semiconductor materials manufacturer.”OCI, a global leading advanced materials company, was selected as the first Korean phosphoric acid manufacturer to supply phosphoric acid to SK hynix Inc. With this order from SK hynix, OCI will further consolidate its position as the largest supplier in the domestic semiconductor phosphoric acid market and strengthen its standing as a leading semiconductor materials manufacturers.OCI received approval from SK hynix to supply semiconductor phosphoric acid after a rigorous qualification process, and held a ceremony to celebrate the shipment of the first products at its Gunsan plant on August 21.The semiconductor phosphoric acid supplied by OCI to SK hynix is one of the crucial materials in semiconductor manufacturing, and is used in the process of etching semiconductor wafers. OCI’s semiconductor phosphoric acid is a basic material used in all semiconductor processes, including DRAM, NAND flash memory and foundry production, and its demand expected to increase steadily in line with HBM’s growth and the recovery of the semiconductor business.Since it entered the semiconductor phosphoric acid business in 2007, OCI has reached an annual production capacity of 25,000 tons and has been stably supplying phosphoric acid to major domestic semiconductor companies such as Samsung Electronics Co., SK keyfoundry Inc., and DB HiTek Co., for 17 years. It maintains the largest market share in the semiconductor phosphoric acid market. By adding SK hynix as a new customer, OCI has become the only company supplying phosphoric acid to all major domestic semiconductor manufacturers in Korea.OCI plans to gradually expand its semiconductor phosphoric acid production capacity along with the growing demand from existing and new customers and contribute to the local production of semiconductor materials and stabilization of their supply chains.The company expects to increase sales of hydrogen peroxide, which is essential for the cleaning processes of semiconductor fabrication.OCI has produced hydrogen peroxide since 1979, with an annual capacity of 75,000 tons and has honed a competitive edge through its long history and technology. Samsung Electronics and SK hynix plan to resume their production line expansions with the recovery of the semiconductor business this year, and demand for electronic-grade hydrogen peroxide is expected to continue to increase accordingly.In addition, OCI supplies semiconductor hydrogen peroxide to Kioxia Corp, a Japanese NAND flash memory manufacturer. Last July, Kioxia completed the construction of a new wafer fabrication plant in Iwate Prefecture with a monthly capacity of 25,000 wafers, raising the prospect of additional orders for OCI.Recently, OCI decided to acquire a stake in P&O Chemical Co., which will increase its annual hydrogen peroxide production capacity by 50,000 tons, allowing it to proactively respond to the demand driven by the expanding production lines of customers.OCI President Yoo Shin Kim said, “It is very encouraging that OCI has become the first domestic manufacturer to supply semiconductor phosphoric acid to SK hynix after passing the qualification process, based on our technology. In the future, OCI will strengthen its position as a semiconductor materials company by expanding production and boosting competitiveness to meet the growing demand for semiconductors.” (End) 

OCI Receives Gold Medal in 2024 EcoVadis Sustainability Assessment - OCI received the Gold Medal awarded to the top 5% by EcoVadis, a major global ESG assessment agency. - Received high scores in the categories of environment, labor and human rights, with favorable scores in all categories. - OCI set tasks for each category as part of its mid- to long-term ESG roadmap and systematically implemented ESG activities.- Selected by Sustinvest as the best ESG company in the first half of 2024, demonstrating its outstanding ESG management capabilities at home and abroad.OCI announced that it has been awarded a Gold Medal from EcoVadis, a global ESG rating agency, placing it in the top 5% and recognizing its strong ESG management capabilities.EcoVadis, founded in France in 2007, is the world’s largest reliable global sustainability rating agency. EcoVadis evaluates over 130,000 companies across 180 countries in four categories: Environment, Labor and Human Rights, Ethics, and Sustainable Procurement, and awards Platinum (top 1%), Gold (top 5%), Silver (top 15%) and Bronze (top 35%) medals. OCI received Gold Medal, which is awarded to the top 5% of all companies assessed. Compared to the previous year, OCI has improved its scores in overall areas, especially high scores in environment, and labor and human rights. Recently, the number of clients requesting global ESG ratings from their suppliers has increased sharply, and with this EcoVadis rating, OCI is expected to strengthen its business capabilities by pre-emptively responding to such a trend of stricter global ESG regulations.OCI has established a mid- to long-term ESG roadmap to strengthen ESG management and set tasks in each of the environmental, social and governance categories, and systematically implemented ESG activities.In the environmental area, the company has established a greenhouse gas emissions management system aligned with global regulation of carbon emissions. It also set a target to increase its water reuse rate by more than 10% by 2030 compared with 2019, aiming to reinforce the monitoring of water resource usage at its sites. In addition, for producing eco-friendly carbon black using recycled fuel oil from plastic waste, OCI received the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) Plus, an international eco-friendly product certification, in 2023, and plans to increase certifications by using eco-friendly raw materials. In the area of labor and human rights, the company conducted human rights impact assessments at all sites in April of this year, identified human rights risks and incorporated the results into its corporate policies to strengthen human rights management. OCI also recently received the top rating, AA, in an ESG assessment conducted by Sustinvest, a domestic ESG rating agency. OCI was selected by Sustinvest as one of the 100 Best ESG Companies among listed Korean companies on a bi-annual basis, demonstrating its excellent sustainable management capabilities both domestically and internationally. OCI CEO YooShin Kim said, “With the Gold Medal from EcoVadis, we expect to actively meet the demands of our key stakeholders and maintain global market competitiveness. In the future, OCI will fulfill its corporate social responsibility, further strengthen ESG management, and pursue sustainable growth to realize its vision of becoming a global leading advanced materials company.” 

OCI Acquires all of the shares in P&O Chemical, a Joint Venture with POSCO Future M, Accelerating its Expansion into the Semiconductor and Rechargeable Battery Materials Businesses - OCI decided to acquire all of the shares in P&O Chemical, a joint venture with POSCO Future M.- OCI aims to normalize the performance and achieve mid- to long-term growth of P&O Chemical through synergies with its existing businesses.- Expects to strengthen the competitiveness of the semiconductor and rechargeable battery materials businesses and diversify its portfolio.- CEO YooShin Kim said, “This lays the foundation to grow into a global advanced materials company by creating various synergies and exploring business opportunities.” OCI announced that its Board of Directors approved the acquisition of all shares in P&O Chemical, a joint venture with POSCO Future M, at its regular meeting on August 26. Following the approval of the Board of Directors, OCI will enter into a share purchase agreement with POSCO Future M to acquire POSCO Future M’s stake in P&O Chemical for KRW 53.7 billion. After the purchase agreement, P&O Chemical will become a subsidiary of OCI through a merger filing.P&O Chemical is a joint venture established by OCI and POSCO Future M in July 2020 to produce high value-added materials from byproducts of steelmaking, with OCI holding 49% of the shares and POSCO Future M holding 51%. With a hydrogen peroxide production plant with an annual capacity of 50,000 metric tons completed in 2022, P&O Chemical is producing high-purity electronic grade hydrogen peroxide used in semiconductor fabrication processes. A plant for the production of high-softening-point pitch, a coating material for anode materials of rechargeable batteries, was completed in the second half of 2023 and is currently in trial operation. P&O Chemical’s performance is still weak because it is in the early stage of business. However, based on OCI’s long-standing technology and production capabilities and the creation of synergies between businesses, P&O Chemical plans to normalize its business operations and achieve mid- to long-term growth. In particular, It is expected that product quality and cost competitiveness will improve by establishing a close linkage with the Iksan plant, which produces high-purity hydrogen peroxide. Meanwhile, high-softening-point pitch is an essential coating material of the anode materials that enhances both stability and efficiency of rechargeable batteries, and P&O Chemical plans to start its mass production from 2025. To address the long-term growth of global anode material market, the company will focus on maximizing profitability by acquiring additional customers. With the acquisition of P&O Chemical, OCI aims to strengthen the competitiveness of its semiconductor and rechargeable battery materials businesses and expand a portfolio of advanced materials businesses. With the recent recovery of the semiconductor business, semiconductor chip makers, including Samsung Electronics, are planning to increase their production capacity, which will lead to increased demand for high-purity hydrogen peroxide. OCI plans to proactively prepare for increased customer demand with the acquisition of P&O Chemical. In addition, OCI succeeded in commercialization of high-softening-point-pitch for the first time in Korea by utilizing its proprietary technology, and through the partnership between OCI and P&O Chemical, OCI will enhance product competitiveness and develop various high value-added products to accelerate the expansion of the rechargeable battery materials business.After the acquisition of P&O Chemical, OCI and POSCO Future M will maintain a close business relationship based on a long-standing partnership. OCI will secure a stable supply of byproducts of steelmaking, a core raw material from the POSCO Group, while P&O Chemical will supply high-softening-point pitch, a coating material for anode materials, to POSCO Future M, further creating synergy between OCI and POSCO Future M. OCI CEO YooShin Kim said, “With the acquisition of P&O Chemical, OCI will be expected to further expand the scope of its advanced materials sector such as semiconductor and rechargeable battery materials. In the future, OCI will actively generate synergies with P&O Chemical and explore business expansion opportunities in advanced materials to grow as a semiconductor and rechargeable battery materials company.” (end) 

OCI Selected as the 2024 Excellent Labor-Management Culture Company by the Ministry of Employment and Labor  - OCI Gunsan Plant was selected as the 2024 Excellent Labor-Management Culture Company by the Ministry of Employment and Labor.- Recognized for 16 consecutive years of no labor disputes since the establishment of the labor union… Mutual cooperation between labor and management has contributed to overcoming crisis and normalizing management- OCI holds regular labor-management workshops and labor-management councils at its four sites to strengthen communication and mutual trust.- OCI President Yoo Shin Kim said, “OCI will take the lead in building advanced labor-management relations by promoting labor-management culture based on mutual prosperity.”  OCI announced that its Iksan plant has received a P (progressive) grade, the top level, in the 2024 PSM periodic assessment conducted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor.The Ministry of Employment and Labor’s annual PSM assessment evaluates safety management systems and their implementation at sites across the country that operate hazardous facilities to prevent major industrial accidents such as fires, explosions and leaks.The assessment gives four grades, P (progressive), S (good), M+ (neutral), and M- (poor), and OCI’s Iksan Plant received the top rating of P, demonstrating that it is a government-certified top safety workplace. The P grade is awarded to the top 5% of all assessed companies.The Iksan plant has been operating a safety culture improvement task force team since 2023 and has been systematically monitoring and addressing risk factors by designating employees for each element of process safety management. In particular, the Iksan plant has raised employees’ awareness of safety management and encouraged their active participation through the 12 PSM tasks exercise campaign, which was rated positively in this PSM assessment.OCI maintains a thorough safety and health management system to strengthen safety management at all its sites, making occupational safety and health a top priority. OCI operates the Serious Disaster Prevention Committee to prevent serious accidents and actively respond to stricter occupational safety regulations, and regularly shares headquarters and site activities to improve safety and health management at a monthly meeting hosted by the CEO. In addition, OCI identifies and addresses various occupational risks, improves safety equipment and prevents occupational diseases through various councils including each site’s Occupational Health and Safety Committee and supplier councils.OCI President YooShin Kim said, “Thanks to the efforts of all employees, including those at the Iksan plant, to strengthen safety management capabilities, we have achieved the highest rating, P grade. We will strive to internalize the values of safety and health and spare no investment or support to keep our workplaces safe and accident-free. (end)

OCI Iksan Plant Receives Highest Rating, P Level,  in Government’s Process Safety Management (PSM) Assessment - OCI Iksan plant receives top 5% workplace certification in Ministry of Employment and Labor's 2024 PSM assessment- Has strengthened on-site safety management by operating task force team to improve safety culture- Operates various safety and health councils, including Serious Disaster Prevention Committee, and has established systematic safety and health management infrastructure- CEO YooShin Kim said, “OCI will continue its investment and support to ensure the internalization of safety values and occupational safety.”  OCI announced that its Iksan plant has received a P (progressive) grade, the top level, in the 2024 PSM periodic assessment conducted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor.The Ministry of Employment and Labor’s annual PSM assessment evaluates safety management systems and their implementation at sites across the country that operate hazardous facilities to prevent major industrial accidents such as fires, explosions and leaks.The assessment gives four grades, P (progressive), S (good), M+ (neutral), and M- (poor), and OCI’s Iksan Plant received the top rating of P, demonstrating that it is a government-certified top safety workplace. The P grade is awarded to the top 5% of all assessed companies.The Iksan plant has been operating a safety culture improvement task force team since 2023 and has been systematically monitoring and addressing risk factors by designating employees for each element of process safety management. In particular, the Iksan plant has raised employees’ awareness of safety management and encouraged their active participation through the 12 PSM tasks exercise campaign, which was rated positively in this PSM assessment.OCI maintains a thorough safety and health management system to strengthen safety management at all its sites, making occupational safety and health a top priority. OCI operates the Serious Disaster Prevention Committee to prevent serious accidents and actively respond to stricter occupational safety regulations, and regularly shares headquarters and site activities to improve safety and health management at a monthly meeting hosted by the CEO. In addition, OCI identifies and addresses various occupational risks, improves safety equipment and prevents occupational diseases through various councils including each site’s Occupational Health and Safety Committee and supplier councils.OCI President YooShin Kim said, “Thanks to the efforts of all employees, including those at the Iksan plant, to strengthen safety management capabilities, we have achieved the highest rating, P grade. We will strive to internalize the values of safety and health and spare no investment or support to keep our workplaces safe and accident-free. (end)

OCI breaks ground on a special raw material plant for silicon anode materials for lithium-ion batteries... Accelerating battery business - OCI has started construction on a plant in Gunsan, Jeonbuk State, that will produce a special raw material for silicon anode materials with an annual capacity of 1,000 tons- Long-term supply agreement with Nexeon Ltd., a UK-based silicon anode materials manufacturer, for five years starting from 2025- Efficiency Maximized by utilizing TCS gas produced during the semiconductor polysilicon process- OCI embarks on its journey to become a global leader in the semiconductor and lithium-ion batteries sectors OCI, renowned as a global leading advanced materials company, has held a groundbreaking ceremony for a special raw material plant to produce silicon anode materials for lithium-ion batteries, marking the first step towards significant expansion in battery materials business.OCI hosted the groundbreaking ceremony for the new plant on June 11 at the Gunsan National Industrial Complex in Jeonbuk State. The event was attended by OCI CEO YooShin Kim, Nexeon CEO Scott Brown, Jeonbuk State Vice Governor Jonghun Kim, Gunsan Mayor Imjune Kang, and other stakeholders and regional officials.The new plant will be built on the idle site within OCI’s existing Gunsan plant, where OCI currently produces semiconductor polysilicon and phosphoric acid. OCI aims for completion of this new plant in the first half of 2025. OCI signed a long-term supply contract with Nexeon in July last year to supply approximately 70 billion KRW worth of a special raw material (SiH4) for silicon anode materials for five years from 2025. With the initial production capacity is 1,000 MT, OCI will consider expanding production in response to global market growth.OCI maximizes efficiency by utilizing ultra-high purity trichlorosilane(TCS) produced during the semiconductor polysilicon manufacturing process as a raw material. A special raw material will be supplied to Nexeon’s plant through pipelines, minimizing carbon emissions. Advanced equipment will also be introduced to ensure both production efficiency and safety, enabling rapid response to any issues.Nexeon, a leader in next-generation silicon anode materials with over 170 key patents related to lithium-ion batteries, began construction of a commercial production facility with an annual capacity of 1,500 MT near OCI's Gunsan plant in March.Nexeon’s second-generation technology, improved upon the low silicon content of first-generation materials, solves the expansion issues of silicon, enhances the energy density, and increases battery capacity and charging speed by up to 50%. Nexeon has secured a long-term supply contract with Japanese battery manufacturer Panasonic with its technologies recognized highly. It is expected to significantly improve the driving range and charging performance of electric vehicles.This groundbreaking ceremony marks the start of OCI's active expansion in the lithium-ion batteries and semiconductor sectors. OCI has also developed high-softening-point pitch, an essencial coating material for graphite anodes, by utilizing proprietaty technology for the first time in Korea. Furthermore, OCI will establish a joint venture with Japanese chemical company Tokuyama Corp. in Malaysia to produce semi-finished products of semiconductor polysilicon. In addition, OCI is actively pursuing various projects and R&D investments to expand its semiconductor and battery materials business.OCI CEO YooShin Kim stated, "with the beginning of construction on a special raw material plant, OCI and Nexeon will deliver transformative solutions that accelerate the future of battery technology. We are committed to contributing to the eco-friendly energy era. OCI will focus its corporate capabilities on becoming a global leading advanced materials company in the semiconductor and lithium-ion batteries fields and strengthen our market dominance with our proprietary technology." Photo 1. commemorative Photo from OCI’s Groundbreaking Ceremony for a special raw material plant for silicon anode materials(Photo description) Officials attending the groundbreaking ceremony for OCI's special raw material plant for silicon anode materials are taking a commemorative photo. (From the second left) Nexeon CEO Scott Brown, Chairman of the Gunsan City Council Youngil Kim, Jeonbuk State Vice Governor Jonghun Kim, OCI CEO Yooshin Kim, Gunsan Mayor Imjune Kang. 

The joint venture of OCI and POSCO Future M completed the construction of a plant to produce high-softening-point pitch,a core material for anode materials of rechargeable batteries.  - Joint venture P&O Chemical completed the construction of its high-softening-point pitch plant with an annual capacity of 15,000 tons in Gongju, Chungcheongnam-do on November 13.- High-softening-point pitch is essential in enhancing battery charging and discharging efficiency and boosting battery life.- This first domestic production of the material, which had been entirely imported, is expected to stabilize supply and promote technological independence. - OCI continues to focus on key materials for semiconductors and rechargeable batteries P&O Chemical, a joint venture of OCI Holdings (President Jin Sug Suh) and POSCO Future M (President Kim Jun-hyung) held a ceremony to celebrate the completion of a plant for high-softening-point pitch in Gongju-si, Chungcheongnam-do on November 13, and announced Korea’s first mass production.  The ceremony was attended by OCI President Yoo Shin Kim, POSCO Future M President Kim Jun-hyung, P&O Chemical President Jong Kook Kim, business executives, and regional representatives including Gongju-si Mayor Choe Won-cheol. The high-softening-point pitch plant was built in an area of 32,500 square meters in the Tancheon Industrial Complex, Gongju-si, Chungcheongnam-do with an investment of KRW 96.3 billion. With annual production capacity of 15,000 tons, the plant will mass produce the core material used for the anodes of batteries for the first time in Korea.  Pitch is carbon material produced by refining coal or petroleum, and the raw material of high-softening-point pitch used for anode materials is a petroleum substance. One of the characteristics of high-softening-point pitch is that it begins to soften at a higher temperature than ordinary pitches. High-softening-point pitch is a key material for battery anode materials and has a significant impact on the quality of batteries.  It is largely used as a material for coating the surface of an anode, and plays an essential role in enhancing the charging and discharging efficiency of batteries and extending battery life.  Because the domestic market for anode materials was not large, all high-softening-point pitch was imported from China and Germany. However, with the steady growth of the EV battery market, demand for high-softening-point pitch is rising rapidly.  With the new plant, P&O Chemical is expected to make significant contribution to the technological independence of rechargeable battery materials by realizing the localized production of high-softening-point pitch, a core material for anode materials. The domestic production of high-softening-point pitch would not have been possible without OCI’s solid technology that has been accumulated for decades. OCI, a major subsidiary of OCI Holdings, was the first company in the world to succeed in the commercialization of liquid pitch in 1996. OCI is Korea’s only company to produce pitch, with an annual capacity of 520,000 tons. OCI also developed high-softening-point pitch with its proprietary technology in its efforts to broaden its product portfolio from liquid pitch based on steel byproducts to high-softening-point pitch derived from petroleum substances and to expand its profit base. Meanwhile, based on its robust technology, OCI has diversified its business portfolio to include high value-added core materials for semiconductors and rechargeable batteries. Last June, OCI signed an MOU with Tokuyama Corporation of Japan to establish a joint venture to produce semiconductor-grade polysilicon with an annual capacity of 11,000 tons, and in July signed a long-term contract with Nexeon to supply special materials for the anode materials of rechargeable batteries for five years from 2025.  P&O Chemical is a joint venture established in July 2020 by OCI Holdings and POSCO Future M with the aim to strengthen competitiveness in high valued-added materials. The joint venture is currently owned by OCI Holdings (49%) and POSCO Future M (51%), respectively. OCI Holdings plans to transfer its stake in P&O Chemical to OCI through investment in kind to maximize synergy.  Prior to this high-softening-point pitch plant, P&O Chemical built a plant to produce high-purity hydrogen peroxide, a key material used in semiconductor fabrication, with an annual capacity of 50,000 tons in Gwangyang, Jeollanam-do in October 2022. P&O Chemical envisions continuously enhancing its competitive edge based on OCI’s superior technology and business expertise combined with the competitive raw materials of POSCO Future M. OCI President Yoo Shin Kim said at the ceremony, “With the successful mass production of high-softening-point pitch following high-purity hydrogen peroxide, P&O Chemical has taken a step forward as a key enterprise in high-tech materials in Korea. With OCI’s technology and stable product quality and active cooperation with POSCO Future M, we will grow P&O Chemical as one of the leading suppliers of core materials in the world.”