Yeosu Industrial Complex Takes First Step in Establishing Remote Monitoring Safety Network for Chemical Accidents

Ministry of Environment's Korean Digital New Deal Project Selects Yeosu National Industrial Complex as Final Site... 6.1 Billion KRW Invested

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seon-sik] Yeosu City, Jeollanam-do (Mayor Kwon Oh-bong) announced on the 29th that the Yeosu National Industrial Complex has been finally selected for the Ministry of Environment's pilot project of the Korean version of the Digital New Deal, ‘Monitoring of Leakage and Spillage of Hazardous Chemicals in Aging Industrial Complexes.’

Accordingly, the city will invest 6.1 billion KRW by the end of this year to establish a remote monitoring system for hazardous chemical leakage and spillage using advanced artificial intelligence at the Yeosu Industrial Complex.

They will install high-resolution thermal imaging cameras capable of detecting chemical leakage and spillage from a distance, as well as an open Fourier transform spectrometer (infrared chemical analysis equipment), to build a 24-hour monitoring system.

To this end, the city signed a business agreement today at the Yeosu City Hall Situation Room with the Ministry of Environment, Jeollanam-do Province, Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority to ensure the successful execution of the pilot project.

Under this agreement, to strengthen the cooperative response system for chemical accidents, the Ministry of Environment will handle the installation and operation of the monitoring system and share chemical accident response information; Jeollanam-do will manage emission facilities; Yeosu City will provide necessary sites and administrative support for the pilot project; and Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority will provide sites and manage port safety.

Park Eun-gyu, Director of the Environmental Welfare Bureau of Yeosu City, said, “Early response is very important in chemical accidents, and with the establishment of an advanced AI monitoring system, we expect to quickly detect any leakage or spillage of chemicals and respond promptly to chemical accidents within the Yeosu Industrial Complex,” adding, “We will do our utmost to strengthen the safety net for the industrial complex and the local community.”

Meanwhile, the Yeosu Industrial Complex, which began construction in 1967 and led the development of Korea’s heavy chemical industry, handles the largest amount of chemicals in the country (36,626,729 tons annually as of 2018). However, after more than 50 years, the aging facilities urgently require strengthened chemical accident safety measures.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.