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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.” 

OCI signs a long-term agreement to supplyraw material for silicon anode material for lithium-ion batteries. - OCI will supply core raw material for silicon anode materials to Nexeon Ltd. (UK) for five years from 2025.- OCI will start commercial production from 2025 after groundbreaking this year for a plant to produce a special raw material for silicon anode materials with an annual capacity of 1,000 tons.On July 26, OCI announced that it signed a long-term agreement with Nexeon to supply a core raw material necessary to produce silicon anode materials for rechargeable batteries. Under the agreement, OCI will supply to Nexeon a special raw material (SiH4) for silicon anode materials for five years from 2025. This initial long-term supply agreement is valued at about KRW 70 billion (USD 55 million), and the size of the agreement is expected to increase as the customer expands production.The plant to produce special raw material for silicon anodes will have an annual capacity of 1,000 tons and will be built in the lot of OCI’s Gunsan Plant, which produces polysilicon for semiconductors and phosphoric acid. The construction of the plant will start this year, with commercial production slated to begin in the first half of 2025, and the production volume will be adjusted depending on the demand of Nexeon. Nexeon is a leading manufacturer of silicon anode materials for rechargeable batteries with more than 170 patents related to silicon-based anode materials. The UK company recently signed a long-term agreement to supply silicon anode materials to Panasonic, the world’s fourth largest battery cell manufacturer, and will secure production capacity under the agreement.  Demand for silicon-based anode material is rising as a next-generation battery material as it addresses the shortcomings of conventional graphite-based anode materials and offers longer driving distance with a shorter charging time. However, due to price and stability issues, few firms have succeeded in commercializing the technology. In addition, first-generation anode materials such as silicon oxide cannot replace more than 10% of graphite due to its expansion characteristic. Nexeon’s silicon-rich anode material is a second-generation battery material that overcomes the hurdles of the first-generation material using its proprietary technology to relieve the expansion of silicon anode material. It is reported that by increasing the amount of Nexeon’s second-generation anode materials incrementally when making cells, the energy density of rechargeable batteries can be enhanced by up to 50%. As a result, electric vehicles equipped with Nexeon’s silicon anode materials can have longer driving distances and shorter charging times, as well as stability. Demand for Nexeon’s second-generation silicon anode material is expected to grow rapidly, as it can replace most of the first-generation silicon materials.OCI can supply raw material for the second-generation silicon anode material directly to Nexeon’s plant through pipes, and will increase production capacity in tandem with market growth and rising customer demand. The raw material for silicon-based anode materials to be produced by OCI will be cost competitive because it is produced in the process of manufacturing polysilicon for semiconductors at the Gunsan Plant. In terms of production facilities, OCI will introduce the latest simplified manufacturing process and a one-step shutdown valve for a quick response in the event of safety problems to ensure efficiency and stability in production. Starting with this supply of raw material for silicon anode materials, OCI will actively develop raw materials for next-generation silicon anode materials and semiconductors to establish its leadership in raw materials for rechargeable batteries and semiconductors. On June 1, OCI announced that it signed an MOU to establish a joint venture with Tokuyama Corporation of Japan to produce polysilicon for semiconductors with a capacity of 11,000 tons. The company will also produce high-softening-point pitch, a coating material for anodes, with POSCO Future M from the fourth quarter this year. OCI seeks to expand the production of semiconductor materials such as phosphoric acid, hydrogen peroxide, and precursor. OCI President Yoo-Shin Kim said, “We expect to produce price-competitive quality products by maximizing the strength of OCI as a cutting-edge material supplier and the advantage of Nexeon’s advanced silicon anode material technology. OCI will continue to expand investment to sharpen its competitive edge and build leadership in the rapidly growing rechargeable battery materials market.” 

OCI expands investment in semiconductor materials to drive growth as a leading advanced chemical materials company - On May 24th, OCI's Board of Directors approves binding MOU for joint venture with Tokuyama Corporation to produce semiconductor-grade polysilicon- OCI to establish post-processing facilities for semi-finished polysilicon at Gunsan PlantOCI, headquartered in Seoul, announced on May 24th that its Board of Directors approved to implement of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish a joint venture with Tokuyama Corporation, a prominent Japanese chemical company. The joint venture aims to produce semiconductor-grade polysilicon in Malaysia, and the necessary procedures will soon begin. Tokuyama Corporation, renowned as the world's third-largest producer of semiconductor-grade polysilicon, is a highly esteemed global enterprise known for its exceptional technology and financial resources.In June, both companies will set to sign a binding MOU, following which they will evaluate the business project and establish a joint venture in the first half of 2024. The joint-venture entity will be responsible for manufacturing semi-finished products of semiconductor-grade polysilicon, with an annual production capacity of 11,000 tons. Clean energy from Samalaju, Malaysia, will be utilized in the production process. OCI plans to import semi-finished polysilicon products for semiconductors, which will be manufactured by the joint venture. These imported products will undergo post-processing at OCI's Gunsan Plant. Subsequently, the company will sell the finalized products to customers both domestically and internationally.Presently, the OCI Gunsan Plant has a yearly production capacity of 4,700 tons for finished products. Should the joint venture project move forward, the plant will incorporate post-processing facilities for 5,000 tons of semi-finished products supplied by the joint venture by the end of 2026. OCI anticipates substantial growth in the semiconductor-grade polysilicon business from 2027 onwards, fueled by the establishment of the joint venture and strategic investments.OCI has revealed its intentions to explore additional domestic investments in the semiconductor-grade polysilicon business alongside the joint venture. The company aims to take proactive measures in response to the increasing demand arising from the global semiconductor market's expansion. Through a series of strategic investments, OCI seeks to enhance its position as a prominent producer of semiconductor materials. OCI's Vice Chairman, Teak Joung Kim, remarked, "Through the establishment of a joint venture with Tokuyama Corporation for the construction of a semiconductor-grade polysilicon plant in Malaysia, OCI embarks on its initial stride towards becoming a producer of advanced chemical materials, including semiconductors and battery materials, subsequent to the spin-off. Our investments aimed at expanding into the semiconductor and battery materials sector are founded upon the strength of our core business in basic chemical materials." 

OCI spin-off to a holding company and a chemical company approved by the general meeting of shareholders - The spin-off plan was passed with an attending shareholder approval rate of 80%- A holding company, “OCI Holdings,” and a chemical company, “OCI,” will be listed with the change and relisted, respectively, in May- Stable growth and enhanced shareholder value is sought with the transition to a holding company structure OCI (Chairman & Representative Director Woo-Sug Baik, Vice Chairman & Representative Director Woo Hyun Lee, President (CEO) and Representative Director Teak Joung Kim) announced that a corporate spin-off of OCI was passed at a general meeting of shareholders held at the OCI building in Sogong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul on March 22. The general meeting of shareholders was attended by 57% of all voting shares, and the spin-off plan was passed by the attending shareholders with an approval rate of 80%. The approval of the spin-off requires the presence of at least one third of the total number of outstanding shares and the affirmative vote of two thirds of the shareholders present.With the approval of spin-off, OCI will be spun off into a surviving holding company, “OCI Holdings, ” and a new chemical business corporation, “OCI.” The shareholders of OCI will receive new shares of the new corporation commensurate with their stakes in OCI Holdings and OCI. The spin-off ratio of OCI Holdings to OCI is 69% and 31%.The spin-off date will be May 1, and after a trading halt period, the two entities will be listed with the change and relisted on the KOSPI market on May 29. After the spin-off, the surviving corporation, OCI Holdings, will be engaged in the solar PV business, such as polysilicon for solar PV and energy solutions and urban development projects, while the new corporation OCI will operate a high-tech chemical materials business including semiconductor and battery materials.OCI Holdings will make the new company its subsidiary with a rights issue based on investment in kind and takeover, and become a holding company. OCI Vice Chairman Woo Hyun Lee said, “We appreciate the patronage and support of our shareholders shown in the course of the pin-off, and we will humbly accommodate the opinions of shareholders who cast dissenting votes and make up for shortcomings to offer greater value to all shareholders.”He added, “We seek stable growth across the Group with the transition to a holding company structure, and we will strengthen specialization by business sector and enhance corporate and shareholder values with an optimized investment strategy.”Enclosure 1. Overview of spin-off and transition to a holding company